Mind Too Full? Put Something Down And Find More Room

A gentle meditation for when your mind is completely full, both hands are already carrying too much, and even meditation feels like one more thing you've been asked to do. You don't need to empty your mind. It helps you find a little more room around everything you're carrying, put something down for a while, and pick up only what you need for the next small part of the day. The practice is a guided visualisation. After settling the body, you picture yourself at your front door with your hands full of bags and boxes, each one something asking for your attention. You walk out through a crowded, noisy world, onto a path into the countryside and into a wide open clearing, where you place things on the ground one at a time. Rest is not laziness. You may simply be at capacity. Helpful for overwhelm, stress, mental overload, a busy mind, too many responsibilities, feeling at capacity and feeling guilty for resting. Suitable for beginners. Soft music underneath.

Transcript

Welcome, I'm Stephen Webb and this meditation is for those moments when your mind is completely full and when both hands are already carrying too much. And when even meditation feels like just one more thing you've been asked to do. You do not need to empty your mind. Are simply going to find a little more space around everything else you're carrying. So allow yourself to become comfortable. Allow your body to settle into this moment. Can close your eyes if you choose or just soften your gaze a few feet in front of you. You can fill the chair or the bed or the floor. Just feel that you're being supported. These few moments just allow yourself to be held. You don't have to do anything in this moment. Just allowing your body to relax. Allowing your body to breathe. Just simply notice when one breath arrives. And your mind may still be remembering or planning or trying to solve things. That's okay. Imagine yourself in a familiar and a safe place. You are near the front door. And you notice that your hands are full. Perhaps you're holding bags or boxes. And each one represents something asking for your attention. It could be a responsibility, A worry. A decision that you have to make. You do not need to identify anything. Just simply recognize that you're carrying a great deal. And imagine the door opening. You feel the outside air touching your face. And you begin to move forward. Moving forward whatever feels natural to you. At first the world is crowded. People are moving in different directions. There is traffic, Noise and conversation. Everybody appears to want something. And the outside world feels a bit like your mind. Busy and crowded. But we do not have to make any of that stop for the moment. Just continue forward one breath at a time. And gradually the crowd begins to thin. There are fewer voices. A little less traffic. A little more distance between you and everything else. And ahead you notice a path leading towards the countryside. As you walk onto it. The sounds of the busy world begin to soften behind you. They've not disappeared. They just simply no longer feel quite so close. Notice the colours around you. The leaves on the trees. The earth and the grass. Perhaps a small flower is growing nearby. The sky above feels larger. You're still carrying the bags and the boxes. Your responsibilities have not vanished. But now there's a little more room around them. A little more room around you. Just ahead there's a wide clearing. A peaceful open space surrounded by countryside. And as you move into the clearing and you allow yourself to stop. There is nowhere else to reach. You're now somewhere with enough room for you and everything else you're feeling. And notice again what you're carrying. You do not need to throw it away. You do not need to pretend, It does not matter. But perhaps just for now. You can place it on the ground beside you. One thing at a time. Let the ground carry it for a while. You've carried it long enough today. The real hands become a little lighter. And your mind doesn't have to work on every problem at once. Some things can wait. Some things need to be shared. Some things may not be yours to carry. What does rest here in this open space? Your thoughts are still here. Your life is still here. But there's space around it all. Space between one thought and another. Space between a problem and the need to solve it. Space around this breath. And just remind yourself. I do not have to carry everything at once. I am allowed to put something down. The best is not laziness. Making space is part of the practice. That soon you will return. But you do not need to pick up every bag again. Choose only what you genuinely need for the next small part of the day. Not tomorrow, Not next month. To just carry for this one moment. And begin moving back towards the path. And this clearing is always within you. Just a few breaths away. In any given moment. Sometimes the space you will find will be very small. Just one breath, One pause. Sometimes that's enough. So begin to notice the room around you, The nearby sounds. The surface supporting your body. Notice your hands. And before asking yourself to carry one more thing, Recognise that. . . You're already holding something. You're not lazy. You're not failing at meditation. Or failing at your spiritual practice. You may simply be at capacity. And very often compassion begins by allowing yourself to put something down. So now you're ready, Just gently open your eyes. And just take your time and carry only what you need into the next moment. Thank you for sitting with me today and if you don't follow, Please follow so you're always aware of new meditations when I release them. And I really appreciate your support.

Reviews

Wow, this one came to me at the exact right moment. I love the metaphor of standing by the door with hands full… And that rest is not laziness… I’ll be listening to this meditation again and again🙏❤️

🙏💗

Another great meditation! Thank you!

Grateful for your centering message after experiencing moments of overwhelmed in my day.

Really nice, thank you!