A Dharma Meditation Beyond Overthinking

This meditation gently guides you to release the grip of overthinking and reconnect with the present moment. Through mindful breathing and simple awareness, you’ll discover a quiet space beyond the constant chatter of the mind. Grounded in Zen-inspired insights, it offers a compassionate reminder that you are not your thoughts. Let this session be your peaceful retreat into stillness and clarity.

Transcript

So this meditation is to help you just let go of the overthinking.

The intention is to gently shift our awareness from the busy mind to the simple but yet really profound reality of just the present moment.

Discovering the peace that is always available to us.

It's always available right here.

So find a comfortable posture,

Whether sitting on a cushion or in a chair and just allow your hands to rest on your lap or whatever position that you feel most comfortable when you're normally meditating.

And you can gently close your eyes or just gently soften them to a few feet in front of you.

Whatever you feel comfortable with.

And just simply give yourself permission to be here.

Give your body permission to breathe just the way it wants to.

And your body knows how to breathe just the same as your body knows how to relax.

Just allow it to be what it is.

Allow your body to relax into this moment.

And as you begin to settle in just take a moment to arrive in this moment.

There's nothing you need to do here.

Nowhere else you need to be.

And often we find ourselves caught up in the mind's constant activity.

And we can easily mistake this for for who we really are.

So in Zen there's a concept known as Shikantaza,

I think it's pronounced,

Which is roughly translated to just sitting.

It points to a simple but yet really profound truth that we don't need to do anything to our thoughts.

We don't need to fight them,

Suppress them,

Or even analyze them.

The invitation is to simply shift our attention.

So just before we continue with the meditation it's just worth remembering that when we do have thoughts,

When it comes into your head,

As they will,

That's what the mind is there to do.

It's evolved to think,

To protect you,

To come up with stuff.

We don't have to do anything with them.

And it's so incredibly simple but yet so powerful.

So just bring your awareness to your breath.

Notice the natural effortless rhythm of your breath as it enters and leaves your body.

You don't need to deepen it or change it in any way.

Body knows how to breathe.

It's been doing it for a long time without you getting involved.

You may notice the rise and fall of your chest or your belly.

And just for a moment notice the activity of the mind.

See if you can observe it without judgment.

Notice that it's just wandering,

Looking for stuff.

If it's not looking for stuff it's handing you stuff,

It's handing you thoughts.

And you're not the thoughts because you wouldn't be aware of the thoughts if you were the thoughts.

So you can be aware of the thoughts.

A handy little mantra is,

I have thoughts but I am not those thoughts.

I have thoughts but I am not those thoughts.

And you don't have to do anything with them.

And perhaps it feels like a busy train station.

And sometimes it's like thoughts just coming and going.

Or that flywheel just reoccurring worries.

You imagine sat on the platform and trains come and go.

Well if it's not your train you don't do anything with it.

You notice the train,

Oh that's not mine.

And you just carry on waiting.

And that's what we can do with the thoughts.

Ah,

That's not a thought I want to get onto.

And then let it go.

Your mind will try to go and get another one.

And eventually it will learn what thoughts you want to get onto.

And if we just bring our moment to the body.

What's the body doing right now?

How are your legs feeling?

How are your feet?

How are your hands?

And you may notice when you move away from the thoughts and the mind to the body.

The mind just quietens down and it's almost like,

Ah okay,

You're going to focus on the body.

So I'll just go a bit quiet.

And you may feel the points of contact with your body,

With the chair or the floor.

You may notice some weight in the pressure.

And you bring your awareness to the sensations in your hands maybe.

Are they warm,

Cool?

Maybe there's a tingling.

Just notice.

That's all.

And what if you expand your awareness to all the sounds around you?

Maybe the distant hum of something you can hear.

And all these sounds are part of the present moment.

There's nothing to fix or figure out.

It's just feeling arising.

Just hearing is happening.

And just being is happening.

And as you rest your attention here in the physical sensations,

The sounds of the moment,

Just notice what's happening with the mind again.

You'll find it's quieter.

It's not fleeting for one thought for another in panic.

So if you just allow your shoulders to relax,

The body goes,

Or the mind goes,

Okay.

In fact,

The body and mind just goes,

Okay.

Sometimes it might take a couple of instructions.

I think the most important thing is that you don't have to fight the thoughts.

You cannot simply stop the thoughts by thinking.

And thoughts never last long.

They're a moment,

And then,

Poof,

They're gone.

If you have a thought that's relentless,

It's a new thought every moment.

It's not the same thought.

So we're just going to rest in this awareness just before we come back.

I got a couple of affirmations.

It really might help.

And you can remember these affirmations anytime you want a little bit of peace.

They go like this.

May I find peace in the present moment.

May I trust in my ability to let go.

May my mind be spacious and my heart be at ease.

I'm going to say them one more time,

And this time,

Really feel them as if they're totally true to you.

May I find peace in the present moment.

May I trust in my ability to let go.

May my mind be spacious and my heart be at ease.

And now it's just time to really appreciate your body and your mind in this moment.

And the whole universe come together to give you this little bit of peace.

Well,

It's nice to think,

Isn't it?

So five,

Four,

Just gently open your eyes.

Three,

Move your arms,

Wiggle your fingers and toes.

Two,

Look around the room.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

Take a little deeper breath and just be here and really appreciate the fact that nothing's changed.

Your mind is not quieting down in any way.

Your mind's thoughts are still coming.

But just that knowledge that you don't have to do anything with them.

That's like a superpower.

I have thoughts,

But I'm not those thoughts.

And just like that,

You take away all of their power,

All of their energy,

Just like that.

I'm wishing you a wonderful day and thank you for supporting me on here.

Reviews

Good one, relaxing, relieving and practical, thank you!🙏

That was exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you for your wise words and this amazing meditation. 🙏💜

What a kind and gentle voice! I loved your guidance and message. Thank you🙏🏼❤️

Loved the pace of this meditation. Thank you for the reminder that I am not my thoughts. Just what I needed this morning. 🙏

So appropriate for me this morning Steven. Very helpful words. Thank you.
🙏💖🕊🌻

🙏💗

As always very helpful !
Thank you !

Exactly what i needed today 😌 🧡 ty

Perfect. Just what I need after a long day at work.

Wonderful. I have thoughts, but I am not those thoughts. Knowing this really is a superpower. This meditation evokes inner peace. Thank you, Steven🙏💕

A good one .

Simple and effective meditation to calm the “monkey-mind.” I am in the middle of a chaotic, stressful move (soild our house) and this meditation was just what my mind and soul needed! Thank you for creating this meditation. 🫶

Lovely 💜 peaceful, relaxing and affirming. Thank you 🙏

Another keeper from Steven for quieting the mind. I love the idea of a train pulling into the station, but it’s not your train, so you let it go. I can identify with that so much better than the clouds in the sky or the leaf in the stream images. Brilliant. I’ve bookmarked it, for many happy returns. Thank you.❤️