Just about every human being,
At some point,
Has to deal with a mind that's going a mile a minute.
Maybe you're going through something stressful or overwhelming,
And you're trying to process it and figure out what to do next.
Maybe you're neurodivergent,
And this is just how your mind works on any given Tuesday.
Either way,
You may be feeling like it's a bit much for you right now,
And you'd like it all to slow down,
Please,
And give you a break.
This meditation is meant to help you settle and flow with your rushing river of thinking.
You may have already noticed that if you try to fight this river of thoughts,
If you try to push them away,
It doesn't seem to solve the problem.
It might actually make it worse.
So what we're going to do,
For now,
Is declare that there actually isn't a problem at all.
Thinking is what the mind is for,
After all.
Instead of struggling against the racing thoughts,
We're going to take this opportunity to observe them and how they appear and disappear.
We're going to get a little distance from them and not be so caught up in their content.
Think of yourself as a casual observer of your own thoughts.
It's a little like people-watching or bird-watching.
You could imagine yourself sitting at a cafe with a cup of your favorite coffee or tea in hand,
Watching people walk across the plaza in front of you.
As you sip,
You might notice when someone appears in your line of sight and follow them slowly with your eyes until they're out of view.
When you can no longer see them,
Your attention goes to another person walking.
You're not attached to any one person,
Even if you have opinions about them.
You're just witnessing them come and go.
Or,
If you're more of a nature lover,
You might think of it like watching wildlife from a distance.
A deer wanders into the clearing and you watch it for a while as it grazes.
Once it's gone,
You wait and watch the space until a rabbit or a bird appears.
So let's just try this for a minute or two.
First,
Let's settle into the body a bit.
Feel where your body touches the ground.
Your seat on the chair.
Your feet on the ground.
Wherever you feel the most solid contact with the earth.
Let yourself sink a little bit.
Feel that weight.
Take a few slow,
Gentle,
Deep breaths in.
And out.
Don't fight your thoughts.
Just wait patiently,
And watch for one to show up.
See if you can notice the instant your first thought appears.
See if you can tell where it comes from.
Don't push it away.
Don't punish yourself for thinking.
Treat it as something you've been looking for.
Oh,
A thought!
And then just watch and see what it does.
If it goes away,
See if you can tell where it goes.
Be open to it and a little curious.
By now,
You have almost certainly started thinking about something.
You may or may not be lost in thought,
But you've probably had plenty of thoughts to observe.
That's fine.
Just keep on watching them.
If you find you're really fixated on any one particular thought,
Imagine that your mind is a muscle.
And imagine relaxing the tight grip that muscle has been holding.
Let your scalp and forehead and jaw relax a little.
You can still hold the thought.
Just let it be a little more gently.
Now,
You're not choosing to think these thoughts,
Are you?
If you were choosing to think every racing thought that came through your mind,
You probably wouldn't have decided to listen to a meditation on how to deal with them.
They're just happening.
Whether you want to think them or not.
In that way,
The thoughts running through your mind are a lot like the sounds coming into your ears.
You don't get to pick and choose which sounds reach you.
Whether it's a lovely bird singing or your neighbor yelling at a guy revving his motorcycle,
All those sounds just show up in your head,
Like them or not.
Thoughts usually seem like they're more personal than sound because they started inside our head rather than outside it.
But if you look closely,
You might notice that you're receiving sounds and thoughts in much the same way.
So let's take some time now to listen to whatever you can hear around you.
Try to let the sounds just come to you.
Just receive them without latching on to anyone in particular.
Notice each sound as it appears and disappears again.
If you're in a noisy place and there's a lot of overlapping sounds,
Just let the waves of sound wash over you and notice when it's busier or quieter.
If you're thinking again,
That's fine.
Just notice that and turn your attention back to listening some more.
And remind yourself to pay attention to sound for now.
It is kind of similar to watching your thoughts,
Isn't it?
Sounds and thoughts just kind of show up.
Sometimes you like them,
Sometimes you don't.
Sometimes you don't really care one way or the other.
Let's add thoughts back in again,
As well as sound.
So just like you did before,
Watch for your thoughts.
So now you're watching and listening for both thoughts and sounds now.
Just notice when they appear.
Sounds come from outside and thoughts come from inside,
But they're all just showing up in the same place,
In awareness.
All right,
That'll do for now.
You're welcome to keep going if you feel like it,
Or come back to this meditation anytime you need a little reminder.
Hopefully,
This has helped you get a moment of space from your thoughts and shown you that you don't need to take those thoughts so personally.
With a little time and practice,
You can change how you relate to them and let the river of thoughts flow gently through your awareness.
