Hello,
And welcome to another Mindfully Bree meditation.
Today's practice is about noting thoughts to see where the mind is going.
Simply by bringing awareness to the mind,
You naturally detach from its thoughts and meanderings.
When you observe your own thoughts,
You naturally create a separation from them because you see that they often arise on their own.
There is the thinker and the thoughts.
There is the observer and that which is being observed.
In this way,
You are not as likely to get sucked into each thought.
It's less likely that you'll be hooked onto these thoughts,
Building upon scenarios and worries and investing energy and time all in the thinking mind.
You can notice individual thoughts,
Overarching mental states,
Or how active or dull the mind is at any given moment.
This practice offers yet another way to understand the thinking mind.
You will use a simple noting exercise to look at where the mind is as thoughts begin to arise.
Rather than focusing on the content of the thoughts themselves,
You will tune into their general context.
So let's begin.
Take a comfortable posture,
Keeping your back straight,
Whether you choose to sit upright or lying down.
Relax the shoulders and breathe into this moment.
Close the eyes and adjust the body to find a comfortable and sustainable posture to help you stay focused and aware.
As you will be working with thoughts,
It is helpful to dedicate the first five minutes to building concentration.
The more we practice focus and concentration,
The better we become and the less likely we are to be pulled into multiple directions when our thoughts begin to pop up left and right.
So I encourage that you choose a place in the body and rest the awareness on the breath.
Maybe it's the rise and fall of your belly.
Maybe it's the temperature coming in and out of your nostrils and your mouth.
Maybe the sensation of your breath rests in your chest.
Wherever it is,
Remember that the breath is always in the present moment.
Open your awareness to the mind and thought processes.
Using the breath as your anchor,
Stay with the sensation of breathing until a thought comes up.
When you notice a thought arise,
Note what its general context is.
Rather than tuning into the specifics of the thought,
Note whether it is rumination,
Problem solving,
Fantasizing,
Or a different type of thinking pattern.
When you recognize you are thinking,
Note the thought and return to the breath.
Simply sit with the body,
Breathing,
Waiting for another thought to arise.
There's no need to be impatient with the mind or the thoughts because this is the nature of the mind to think and think.
Again,
Note what the thought is in general without diving into specifics or getting wrapped up in the thought.
If you were able to tune into the specifics of the thought,
Labeling it rumination,
Fantasizing,
Or another type of thinking pattern,
Then I invite you to note whether the thought is about the past,
The present,
Or the future.
Without labeling one as good or bad,
Just notice where the mind is.
I'll leave you in silence for the next few moments to practice noting the thought and coming back to the breath.
Okay?
As you begin to come out of this practice,
Try to retain some awareness of the thinking mind.
And as you begin to come out of this practice,
Try to retain some awareness of the thinking mind.
