Welcome.
This is a guided meditation on mindfulness of thought.
I'd like to invite you to settle into a seated posture,
Feeling your legs and back against your seat and your feet against the floor.
As you're settling in,
Pay attention to the next three breaths just as they are.
Let's do this.
You may like to close your eyes or leave them open and scanning your body starting at the top of your head,
See if you can gently release any tension you find as you move to your forehead,
Jaw,
Your neck,
Shoulders,
Chest,
Back,
Your arms,
Hands,
Abdomen,
Hips,
Your legs,
Your hips,
Your groin,
Thighs,
Calves,
Ankles,
And feet.
Imagine your mind stream as the sky,
Vast,
Open,
And ever-changing.
You can think of your thoughts as clouds and your awareness is like the sun.
With the light of awareness,
You can watch your thoughts as they enter and flow through your mind stream.
Go ahead and try that now.
You can become aware that there is thinking.
Some thoughts show up seemingly out of nowhere,
Others piggybacking on other thoughts.
Some stay for a long time,
Some move on quickly.
Sometimes you might even find your thinking about thinking.
However it shows up,
Simply notice there is thinking.
Okay.
If you find yourself getting absorbed or lost in thought,
Imagine the thoughts like clouds drifting across a windy sky.
You might find some attractive,
But you can still watch them come and go.
See what happens if you note thinking.
Notice how it feels the very moment you shift from being absorbed or lost in thought to naming it and letting it go.
It's important to mention that we're not trying to ignore or repress thought.
We are interrupting and observing the automatic process.
It is natural to have difficulty letting go of certain thoughts.
If you find this happening,
Without judging,
You can try promising yourself that you'll come back to it later,
And shift momentarily to focusing on your breath or bodily sensations to see if that allows the thought to move along,
Noting any sensations and emotions that arise.
When we notice thinking,
We may also become aware that thoughts come in different forms.
You may notice that thoughts have an auditory quality,
Or they show up as words,
Come in visual form,
Or simply a sense of knowing.
See if you can be curious for the next few moments,
And try noting the form of the thoughts as they arise.
We also have different types of thoughts with different content.
There might be judging,
Analyzing,
Planning,
Remembering,
Boredom,
There might be an emotion attached to the thoughts,
Or qualities like pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral.
See if you can take a moment now and note the type of thought as it arises.
Perhaps I'd love to talk about the Notice how some thoughts automatically bring strong emotions,
And how some emotions are automatically bring up certain thoughts.
You may also notice that there is a space between thoughts.
What does it feel like when thinking ends momentarily?
Do you find yourself anticipating the next thought?
Do you appreciate the break?
Notice the experience of the space between thoughts.
Try to remember this and I probably have to.
Sometimes,
We get carried away in thought.
We can become attached to certain thoughts and sometimes they become a story that can seem irresistible or urgent.
In a moment,
I'd like to invite you to label your arising thoughts as story or not story.
See if you can identify what makes a thought a story.
What qualities does it have?
What emotions or body sensations make it harder to resist following?
Take the next few moments and become aware of your thoughts as story or not story.
Think about your creating our reality as a story.
And as we come to the end of our practice,
I invite you to create a thought for yourself.
Our thoughts can be powerful and useful if we direct them with intention.
Being intentional with our thinking can help us take positive action or meet our needs.
It can offer us the power of choice.
See if you can set a small,
Realistic intention for yourself to complete tonight or over the next few days.
Make it practical,
Not profound.
It might be to take a break when you need it,
Or maybe to eat one meal mindfully.
It might be to use wise speech or recite a favorite mantra.
Whatever it is,
Make sure it feels doable.
Take a moment now and think about this intention and try to notice the emotions and sensations that come with this process.
And after a short time,
I will ring the bell
