Welcome to this meditation for stopping.
Meditation is a powerful form of deluded thinking.
It's when you think about the past obsessively,
Despite the fact that you can't change what happened.
It happens to all of us,
And it can be quite painful.
Mindfulness practice helps you see those patterns clearly and respond to them with patient understanding and begin to detach yourself from their power.
This practice will help you call that inner voice into the light,
Dissect it,
And hopefully diffuse some of its hold over you.
So let's begin.
Close your eyes and allow your body to relax.
Use the breath to help encourage ease in the body.
With each exhale,
Soften the muscles of the body a bit more.
You may want to bring special attention to the abdomen,
Shoulders,
And jaw.
And with each exhale,
Release any lingering tension in these areas.
Begin to pay attention to the experience in your mind,
Noticing the momentum of your mind,
Whether you have racing thoughts or if your mind is calm.
Notice the quality of the thoughts that you're having.
Notice any thoughts as they arise and try to identify any emotions that go with them.
Pay special attention to the negative thoughts and note what you're feeling or thinking.
If you've been ruminating about something specific,
Acknowledge the event or situation about which you're thinking.
Examine this event or situation from a place of curiosity and kindness.
Begin cultivating equanimity,
Which is the state of balance and non-attachment in the midst of charged emotions.
Ask yourself if you're able to change the situation in the past and offer some phrases of calm and compassion to yourself silently.
Phrases such as,
I cannot change the past.
May I be at ease with the mind.
May I care about this difficulty.
If your mind begins to wander,
This is not a problem.
Without judgment or condemnation,
Simply notice that your mind has wandered and bring it back to these phrases of calm and compassion.
I cannot change the past.
May I be at ease with the mind.
May I care about this difficulty.
As you continue to breathe slowly and naturally,
Turn your attention toward the present now.
Although you cannot control the past,
You do have power over your actions right now.
Let's begin to replace the rumination with the recognition that you can choose to act in ways that encourage happiness.
Begin to offer these phrases silently in your head.
May I act with wisdom.
May I respond with compassion.
May I move forward.
And gently replacing the rumination with these thoughts that encourage happiness.
May I act with wisdom.
May I respond with compassion.
And may I move forward.
As we come to the end of this practice,
Carry these phrases with you today.
And whenever the mind falls into the pattern of thinking about the past,
Offer one of these phrases of calm or wise action to yourself.
Thank you so much for joining me in this practice today.
I hope you have an amazing day ahead.
Namaste.
