Mindfulness Of Thought Meditation - Creating Space And Ease

We often find ourselves not only lost in thought, but swept away by the current of the fluctuating thoughts of the mind. This meditation offers space and guidance on how not only to begin to view thoughts objectively, but also to remain more peaceful, grounded and centered regardless of whatever thoughts we may have. What a gift to see our thoughts and not be ruled by them, especially now.

Transcript

With that let's transition to a more meditative experience Begin to settle into your seat however is the most comfortable for you Tall spine if you're in a Tall seat you can also take this on the back or on the belly or whatever position Will allow you to be relaxed yet alert and Come into a level of stillness more so in the mind than the body In a way that works for you So if you need to take chin to chest and do neck circles if you need to open and close the jaw if you need To do some shoulder shrugs find what you need to in order to settle Settling into the breath settling into an awareness of the body More objectively than subjectively Because it's through that orientation that we will allow Ourselves to see our thoughts objectively as opposed to getting caught up in the stories Settle into your breath Deep inhales through the nose exhales out the nose or the mouth whatever you need for the next moment or so Again settling into a comfortable posture That allows you to be relaxed yet alert And as you settle into your posture I'm gonna set a timer for a minute and In this minute I just want you to as much as you can take the seat of the witness and Just Notice how many thoughts go through your mind not with any critique but more with curiosity So timer starts now Whatever the thought may be just take note of it not Aggressively, But just notice what you notice you May notice your thoughts as pictures as words as sensations or feelings A static pictures or videos just notice what you notice Now that the minute has passed Spend a moment or two in contemplation about the experience that you just had so what did you notice? How do you think? You know I tend to think in words and Pictures how do you think so just notice maybe you gained an insight into the way that thoughts fly across the mind And rather than focus on the particular content or the number of the thoughts that you had What's most important is that you now have an experience in seeing how you can create space from the stream of thoughts in the mind? Learning to bear witness to the stream with compassionate awareness as opposed to getting wrapped up And now invite you to settle into a comfortable rhythm of the breath Or whatever anchor so if the breath is a challenge if maybe you notice the seat beneath you your feet on the ground But just settle back into the body and the breath And let thoughts arise as they do and let them fall away Just as water might in a babbling brook or as a cloud might in a clear blue sky At some point in the meditation a strong thought or sensation will likely emerge and it'll seek to divert your attention and Rather than get rigid and be like our most focused like Just use the tools of your attention to take notice of the thought and maybe you name it so maybe you'll be like planning or remembering or For me, It's like sarcasm right or worrying or imagining Fearful thought happy thought interesting to be continued right so just Play around with the stream And Name them and then let them pass Because simply naming and acknowledging the thought is supportive of the witnessing quality of Mindful loving awareness that we seek to cultivate in this aspect of meditative practice You know what I mean? Now consider the space between each thought as we round towards conclusion and Try and rest your awareness in the space between each thought and That may sound a bit esoteric, But at least notice that space Exists as each thought comes to mind so you'll have a thought then it'll pass and there's that space Then you'll have another thought it'll pass there's that space So try and shift your attention from naming the thought to the space that happens after you name the thought and Then so doing perhaps noticing that thoughts are ephemeral and they only have the substance that we invest in them and As quickly as you focus your attention on it You can focus your attention elsewhere. Now in the same manner as we let the particular naming of the thought pass away Allow your focus on the space between the thoughts to pass away and in the final few moments Come back to the breath or the anchor that you have chosen Simple inhale through the nose exhale out the nose or the mouth whatever you require And if another strong emotion or feeling comes to mind name it let it pass they almost stay on your anchor of the breath Stay on your anchor of the breath And consider the following in conclusion When we step out of the stories that a thought tells us You begin to see common patterns of thought without being caught up in them and perhaps more importantly You see that Your thoughts are not you even Though they can be visceral powerful They are as fleeting as emotions and do not form the totality of your experience Your awareness forms the totality of your experience So About four or five breaths so the equivalent of a minute Rest back in peaceful awareness and cultivate the ability to be the peaceful one sitting amidst the rising and falling waves of experience thought and breath And Bottom of the next exhale place hands together at heart center perhaps shoulders back and down if they have crept up Eyesoft if they have coarsened Three clearing breaths then we transition out in through the nose Exhale out the mouth In through the nose exhale out the mouth Last in through the nose Exhale out the mouth Bowing head towards hands as ready and also as ready open your eyes regain your focus Welcome back