Observing Thoughts

A reflective meditation observing the nature of thoughts, being witness to the ever-changing landscape of how thoughts arrive and pass away, like clouds in the sky. Bringing an appreciation to everything changes.

Transcript

A guided meditation on observing thoughts. Take a few moments to orient to where you are, Noticing what is seen in the space in front of you, The colors, Textures, Shadows, Becoming fully aware of where you are and why you are here. And when comfortable, Closing your eyes or finding a gentle downward gaze. Take a few deep breaths, Feeling the expansion on the inhale and the natural relaxation on the exhale. And bring your attention to the natural rhythm of the breath and to just being here and relaxing with the natural ebb and flow of the breath. And now bringing a gentle attention to the body, Sitting here, Feeling the feet resting on the floor, The sensation of the body being supported by the chair, The ease of your arms or hands just resting. And while staying aware of your body sitting here, Focus on the awareness of the release of the breath that you are experiencing. And chair, The ease of your arms or hands just resting. And while staying aware of your body sitting here, Also bring an expanded awareness to noticing the natural rhythm of the breath as well. The felt sense of the body breathing, The gentle expansion on the in-breath, The natural release and letting go on the out-breath or however you might feel your body breathing. Bringing an awareness to just being here in this body with this breath right now in this moment. When distractions arise and thoughts or emotions or sensations, Bring your attention back to just sitting here. And when you are ready and if you are comfortable, Letting go of the attention to the breath and the body and allowing them to just rest in the background. Create a freedom of thought, Feeling and mood to come into your awareness. Just bringing an awareness to your thoughts and maybe noticing how they show up as a stream of thoughts. See if you can bring attention to your thoughts without getting caught up or carried away by the content. Notice if certain thoughts are emotionally charged. Be aware of any tendency to judge or to fix or to try to change them. See if you can be the kind observer. If sitting with thoughts seems overwhelming or becomes uncomfortable, Remember you can always return to the breath or to sound and reset your attention, Allowing yourself to rest with breath or sound or even gently opening your eyes to just be in the present environment, Never forcing yourself to be with anything that is uncomfortable. Seeing thoughts as they come and go, Maybe noticing like the breath there is an ebb and flow to thinking, Seeing the content, How it changes, The reactions that might arise, Perhaps noticing that some thoughts have a sense of urgency and some thoughts may reappear again and again. Maybe even noticing if thoughts are pleasant, Unpleasant or neutral. Again being with your thoughts, Notice how brief and short-lived some can be. Being aware of how thoughts just occur, How they are not necessarily factual or the truth of things. A visualization might be helpful to expand an awareness of thoughts that might include imagining the sky. Thoughts like clouds come and go, They might drift by sometimes quickly, Sometimes they remain as if still. They can accumulate and become stormy. Sometimes there is an open, Clear blue sky. Remembering that above and beyond all clouds and all weather, There is always a peaceful, Calm, Open blue sky. Allowing yourself to just be with thoughts as the mindful observer, Noticing how thoughts arise and then fall away like the breath, Like clouds in the sky. Maybe noticing when and how you get caught by some, Noticing that if you can allow your awareness to just be in the background and become the kind observer. It can also be helpful when sitting with thoughts to name them. This can be useful in identifying the content of thought rather than becoming identified with the thought. Naming can bring a calm presence when overwhelmed by thinking. Noticing the content and then naming it might include planning, Reminiscing, Worrying, Fantasizing. Just noticing the thought and see if it can be named. Letting any and all thoughts come and go, Whether the awareness is noticing thoughts, Sounds or sensations, Just letting them come and go. Not preferring one over the other, Not pursuing any or holding on to any. Just resting in an awareness of thinking itself. Maybe even noticing the space between one thought and the next. Noticing if you get caught up or carried away by a thought and gently bringing the awareness to again just being the observer, Allowing the thoughts to come and go. This is this awareness of being present with what is here in this moment without judgment. Sitting with thoughts, You might begin to notice how easily thoughts are manufactured, How views, Opinions, Ideas, Beliefs, Memories, Stories are all so easily fabricated, How one thought morphs into the next. Until at some point we realize we have been carried away and are no longer aware. Noticing we have stepped out of the present time experience and have become literally lost in thought. Maybe you can begin to sense how thoughts are felt in the body as pleasant, Unpleasant or neutral. Some thoughts might bring tension in the body or the felt sense of tingling and numbness. Some thoughts may feel light and bring a sense of ease. Just noticing what might be felt. Again coming back to the moment of being present with thoughts, Allowing them to come and go. Noticing the nature of thinking. Noticing an awareness to any reaction to your thoughts. Changes in your mood that they may bring. As an observer, Just noticing what is here, Naming it if easy, Noticing the felt sense of the thoughts in the body, Just allowing them to rise and pass away. Sitting in awareness, Noticing thoughts without any forced attention, Being in the moment with whatever arises. This breath, This noise, This thought, Whatever feelings might arise with it, Becoming the gentle observer. Becoming the mindful observer allows a careful and kind attention to our thoughts rather than becoming identified with the content or emotional reaction to them. Allowing the observer a peaceful place to rest, Like the vast blue open sky, Able to watch as the weather comes and goes. And in closing, Rest for a few minutes in awareness of the arising and passing of any thoughts, Noticing that everything changes. Notice without commentary, Without looking for or pushing away, Just resting and allowing a pure awareness of what is present, Just being the peaceful observer. And take a few moments to rest in this awareness. And in closing our meditation, I will ring a bell. At that time, Allow yourself to gradually open your eyes and to orient to being present in the room. And in closing a poem by Wo Men, 10, 000 flowers in spring, 10, 000 flowers in spring, The moon in autumn, A cool breeze in summer, Snow in the winter. If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, This is the best season of your life. Thank you. God bless you.