Take a moment to get comfortable,
Whether you're sitting upright or lying down.
Let your hands rest loosely and allow your shoulders to soften away from your ears.
Now bring your attention to your breath.
Without changing anything,
Simply notice the rhythm,
The gentle rise and fall of your chest.
Breathe in slowly through your nose,
And release the air gently through your mouth.
With each exhale,
Let go of whatever you were carrying before this moment.
The to-do lists,
The noise,
The analysing.
Imagine each breath out creating a little more space around you.
Feel your body grounding into the surface beneath you,
Solid,
Steady,
Supported.
If your mind begins to wander,
Just guide it back to the breath,
Like a kind teacher leading a child back to class.
Take one more deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Silently remind yourself,
I'm here,
I'm safe,
I'm observing.
Now that your body is steady and your breath is slow,
Begin to shift your focus inward,
Toward your thoughts.
Imagine your mind as a wide,
Open sky.
Thoughts drift through this sky like clouds,
Some light and wispy,
Others heavy and full of rain.
They come and go,
Always changing shape,
Always moving on.
Notice how you don't have to control them.
You don't have to make them stop or chase after them,
Or decide which ones are right.
You can simply watch.
As you observe,
Gently label what appears.
You might notice a memory,
Or a plan,
Or a small worry passing by.
When you catch a thought,
Say quietly to yourself,
That's a thought.
See if you can feel the space between you,
The observer,
And the thought itself.
The sky never becomes the clouds,
And you never become your thoughts.
They are just passing weather in the landscape of your mind.
Take a slow breath in,
And as you exhale,
Remind yourself,
I am the sky,
Not the clouds.
Now that you're resting in the role of the observer,
Begin to notice the kinds of thoughts that pass through.
Perhaps a planning thought appears,
About what's next,
Or what needs to be done.
Maybe a judging thought shows up,
About yourself,
Someone else,
Or even this meditation.
You might notice memories,
Worries,
Ideas,
A whole mix of mental weather moving through the sky.
Each time you catch one,
Simply name it.
You can say softly in your mind,
Planning,
Judging,
Remembering,
Worrying.
No judgment,
No analysis,
Just simple awareness.
Picture each thought as a bubble rising to the surface,
Floating for a moment,
Then gently drifting away.
There's no need to pop it or push it away.
It will pass all on its own.
Let your breath be the rhythm that carries you from one thought to the next,
Calm,
Steady,
And curious.
Now imagine yourself taking a gentle step back,
As though you're watching your thoughts on a movie screen in front of you.
You can see them clearly,
But you don't have to enter the scene.
Notice how much space there really is between you,
The one who observes,
And the thoughts that appear.
They move on their own.
They rise,
Drift,
And dissolve,
Without needing your control.
You are the steady awareness behind the activity,
Calm,
Patient,
And unchanging.
Even when your thoughts become noisy or chaotic,
The observer in you remains quiet,
Centered,
And still.
With each exhale,
Feel yourself relaxing deeper into that quiet space.
Let your breath remind you that you don't need to fix or fight your thoughts.
You only need to see them.
Take one more slow,
Steady breath,
And rest in that sense of peaceful distance,
Where your thoughts can move freely,
And you remain grounded and clear.
As this practice comes to an end,
Take a moment to notice how it feels to simply observe.
To let your thoughts move without chasing them,
Without judging them.
Remind yourself softly,
Thoughts are just thoughts.
They are not facts.
I can choose which ones deserve my attention.
Bring your awareness back to your body,
The weight of it on the surface beneath you,
The rhythm of your breath,
The sounds around you.
When you're ready,
Take a deep,
Steady breath in,
And as you exhale,
Open your eyes gently.
Carry this awareness with you into the rest of your day.
Knowing that you can always return to the observer's seat,
The quiet space behind your thoughts,
Whenever you need calm and clarity.
