Thought Fishing

When it comes to meditation we can often assume thinking is the enemy, I’m here to say that thinking isn’t the problem, "automatic" thinking is. As Carl Jung puts it, until you make the unconscious conscious it will run your life and you’ll call it fate. Join me in this session as we work with our minds using the analogy of fishing.

Transcript

Hey welcome it's Doug, Got another meditation for you here. This is a really fun one, It's called Thought Fishing. Now first things first, Get yourself into a comfortable seat, Sit up nice and tall and begin to breathe in and out through those nostrils. Maybe one of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that it's all about clearing the mind. This is not possible for most of us to do, And some argue it's not possible for anyone to do. That's because the mind's function is to think, Just like the lungs function is to breathe. That doesn't mean we are just victims to our thoughts though. Just like our breathing, Our thoughts can be automatic and they can be deliberate. So in today's practice I want us to shift from just having automatic thoughts to deliberate thoughts. This is known as metacognition. By doing this we're going to do what Jung suggested, Which is we should make the unconscious conscious. Otherwise, As he said, It'll run our lives and we'll call it f. . . Now the way I see it, It's a little bit like fishing. Fishing for thoughts. You know how you sit on a bank just waiting, And then bam, You get a bite. You reel it in, You see what type it is, You hold it gently, You examine it. You note the size, Just so you can exaggerate to your friend's letter, And maybe you even take a photo before you release it back into the wild. That's what we're going to do with our thoughts. So let's do it together. I understand that analogy may not work that well for everyone. It's better to feel it. Now as you sit there, Just enjoying your breathing, You're just going to wait for a thought to take the bait. If no thought comes to mind straight away, That's okay. Just enjoy your breath, Enjoy sitting there. When you feel you have a thought though, I want you to reel it in. You should have one by about now. So as you reel it in, Start to take note of it. Now thoughts are like fish, They can be slippery, So never grasp them too tightly. Gently does it. Gently notice what type of thought you are having. Is it a heavy thought? One about something really serious? Or is it a pretty innocuous thought? A light one? Like what would an elephant look like on a skateboard? Yep, Welcome to my mind. Is it about the past or is it about the future? Maybe this thought is about the present. About some experience you're having right now. Just getting to know what that thought is. Does your thought concern someone else or is it about yourself? Is it a plan? Is it a fantasy? Is it a scene that you wish went differently? Just getting to know the nature of your thought. Now how does this thought make you feel? Just noting what impact this thought is having on your psyche or maybe even your body. Now release that thought back into that river of consciousness. Let's do another one together. So all you've got to do is sit, Waiting patiently, Just breathing, Just enjoying your own experience, Waiting for a thought to bite. Alright, You got one? Good job. Now begin to reel it in, Already aware of what kind of weight it has. You got it now in your hands? Remember, It's a slippery bugger, So gently examine it, Gently grasp it. Have a good look at him or maybe it's a her. How heavy is this thought? Begin to think about where it comes from, Past, Present or future. Who does it concern? You or maybe someone else, Maybe a combination. And then lastly, How does this thought make you feel? You don't have to dwell on why, Just note. Okay, Release time. Let it go back, Come back to your breathing. Alright, You ready for one more? This time you're on your own though, So I'm going to give you the tips one last time. Be patient, Let the thought come to you. Don't hold it too tight, They are slippery. Examine it in detail, Thinking about what they are, Where they are from, Who they concern and how they make you feel. Don't get too stuck in any one of those things, Just examine it using that criteria and then when you're done, Let it go and relax. Over to you. Happy fishing. Okay, So you've had your moment, You've gone fishing, You've come up trumps, You've examined that thought. But look, All of that fishing can make you tense, Especially if they are some tough thoughts. So just be aware of how you're feeling right now. Have your shoulders come close to your ears? If so, Can you relax those shoulders back down? Notice how you're breathing. Is it still nice and relaxed and long, Or has the pace fastened a bit? Can you go back to that relaxed and long breathing? Is your jaw clenched? If so, Can you relax it, Can you let it go and just hang? Lastly, Are you sitting up straight? If not, Can you sit up even straighter? Okay, Well done. Slowly blink those eyes open and just know that you can use this technique anytime you want to stop those thoughts from getting on top of you. I'll see you soon. Namaste.

Reviews

This will be very handy. Thank you Doug. 🙏

Thank you,Doug. This was a great and fun way to think about thoughts. And it was so great to hear your voice again! I have been without access to the app for a few weeks now and really felt like I was in mourning. I did manage to sit in quiet contemplation daily, but it is so much nicer to be able to enjoy and work with your meditations. Thank you 🙏