Hey there,
I'd like to introduce you to a short mindfulness exercise to help you unhook from thoughts to help you gain mental clarity.
So to start off with,
Find a comfortable position,
Either close your eyes or rest them gently on a fixed spot in the room.
Take a moment to connect with your breath,
Noticing the breath as you breathe in and out.
Now visualize yourself sitting beside a gently flowing stream.
You may like to picture a stream that you've seen before,
In real life or in the movies,
Or one from your own imagination.
But imagine the stream with as much detail and clarity as you can.
Notice the depth of the stream,
The clarity of the water,
Any sunlight reflections.
Build a rich mental image.
Now as you sit and visualize this stream,
Imagine yourself on the stream's bank.
And as you're sitting and watching the stream,
You notice leaves floating along the surface of the water.
For the next few minutes,
I want you to notice any thoughts that enter your mind.
And when you do,
Imagine that you're taking these thoughts and placing them on the leaf.
So if the thought comes in the form of an image,
You can place that on the leaf.
If your thought comes in the form of words,
See those words written on the leaf,
And then allow the leaves to gently float down the stream.
There's no need to push them away.
There's no need to judge them.
Simply acknowledge the thought that comes into your mind,
Place it on the leaf and let it float on past.
Don't try to speed up or rush your thoughts along.
You're not trying to get rid of these thoughts,
You're allowing them to come and go at their own pace.
And if your mind gets hooked by a thought,
And you find yourself distracted,
Acknowledge what has hooked you,
Place that thought on a leaf and let it float on by.
Even if your mind has thoughts like,
This exercise is dumb,
I'm bored,
Or I'm not doing this right.
Notice those thoughts,
Place them on the leaf and let them float on by.
If a leaf gets stuck,
Allow it to hang around until it's ready to float by.
Come back to your breath.
Come back to noticing the stream in front of you.
If a difficult or painful feeling arises,
Simply acknowledge it.
Say to yourself,
I noticed myself having a feeling of boredom,
Impatience,
Or frustration,
And place those thoughts on leaves and allow them to float along.
Again and again,
Your thoughts may hook you and distract you from being fully present in this exercise.
This is normal.
As soon as you realize that you've been distracted,
Note what has distracted you,
Place that thought on the leaf and let it float along.
When you're ready,
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Noticing the cool air as you breathe in,
The warm air as you breathe out.
Becoming aware of the surroundings in your environment,
Gently open your eyes and come back to your day,
Bringing with it a sense of clarity and mindfulness.
Thank you for meditating with me.
