Begin by finding a comfortable upright position,
One that is both relaxed and at the same time alert.
Taking a deep breath,
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling out of the mouth.
Two more deep breaths,
This last breath being the deepest you've taken all day.
Relaxing with the exhale,
You can allow the belly to soften.
Just breathing naturally,
You can allow yourself to let go of any expectations.
Beginning to bring your attention to whatever is present.
Noticing the sensations where your body meets the chair or cushion.
Allowing sounds to pass through your awareness.
Perhaps noticing smells or tastes.
And in a moment,
You can bring your attention to the sensations inside the body.
Allowing yourself to relax into the present moment.
You may feel areas of your body that are warm.
You may feel dullness,
Tingling,
Or even pressure.
Just gently noting the sensation with as little judgment as possible.
Once you've scanned the body,
You can begin to observe the natural rise and fall of the breath.
Like ocean waves coming and going all on their own.
You may notice thoughts passing through your awareness.
Some of them may be intrusive or even painful.
You can allow yourself to notice each thought as it arises.
And instead of fighting against it,
You can imagine yourself stepping back and observing from a distance.
Much like stepping outside of a storm,
You find yourself able to see it without feeling its full effect.
From this view,
You can understand that you are not the thoughts.
You might even repeat to yourself,
This is not me.
It's just a thought.
And then turn your concentration and awareness back to the breath.
Allowing it to be your anchor.
It's okay if you have to do this numerous times.
You're not doing it wrong.
You're simply training yourself to have a different relationship with your mind.
One that can be more open,
Flexible,
And accepting of whatever arises.
Breathing in,
Allowing yourself to feel strengthened.
Breathing out,
Allowing yourself to let go and observe.
Each time you feel carried away by the thought,
Allowing yourself to come back to the breath,
This is not me.
It's just a thought.
Repeating again,
This is not me.
It's just a thought.
Now for a moment,
You can turn your attention away from the breath and consider how your life will change as you let go of intrusive thoughts.
You've already shown that you're strong.
After all,
You've come this far.
By continuing this practice,
You will become more resilient and learn to let go.
Well done on confronting your intrusive thoughts today.
This is not an easy exercise,
But it is one that will help you create a different relationship with your mind.
So be easy and take whatever was helpful in this meditation with you throughout the rest of your day.
