So sometimes when we meditate,
We get pulled into every thought or emotion that shows up.
One moment we're sitting here focused on our breath,
And then we're thinking about work or worrying about dinner,
And then we're wondering if we're even doing this thing right.
And it's so easy to feel like we're being tossed around by the moment,
Like we're inside every thought,
Every feeling.
But there's a different way to relate to it.
You don't have to be the thought.
You can notice it.
You don't have to react to the feeling.
You can just allow it to pass.
You can kind of think about it as fish in a pond.
The pond doesn't chase after the fish.
Fish are busy swimming around doing their thing.
But the pond is the space.
The pond is the awareness.
Think of the difference between being inside the experience versus being the one just observing it.
Because when you shift into that observing mode,
Well,
That's where calm lives.
Let's try it.
Take a slow breath in.
And let it out.
Not trying to control the mind.
We're not chasing after the fish as they swim around in there.
Through the practice of mindfulness and awareness,
You're learning how to stay steady while they dart around.
And that is the heart of this idea.
Be the awareness that notices,
Not the reaction that follows.
You can call it spaciousness or mindfulness or just that little bit of distance between you and what's happening.
That's the practice.
Whatever shows up,
You don't have to jump in and swim around with it.
You can just breathe.
You can notice.
You can stay grounded.
Be the pond,
Not the fish.
Thank you so much for joining me.
