Meditating with thinking.
At some points during the meditation,
We'll use labelling to help recognize the thinking that's happening.
It's helpful to start on the sphere of the body,
Using the naturally occurring sensations to help us anchor in the body.
This in itself will help settle the mind.
You can use body sensations.
But you can also use other physical senses such as hearing or seeing.
Taking all the time that you need.
Allowing the mind to settle and coming to naturally know what's happening in the present moment.
And it can be helpful to check the quality of awareness.
How does the awareness feel?
Checking to see that awareness is present.
This checking can be very light,
Quite subtle.
Remembering to notice.
His mindfulness here is awareness present.
Is it possible to recognize that settled back quality of ease?
Not jumping on objects.
Simply allowing them to arise.
Your receiving sounds,
Receiving visual impressions or sensations.
Letting them come to you.
Letting them come to the mind,
Arise in the mind.
And you may start to notice the thinking that's present.
Thoughts are happening and awareness can recognize them.
And it's helpful to recognize the thoughts quite gently as if you're looking out of the corner of the mind's eye.
Just notice thinking as it happens.
We're less interested in the content of the thinking than simply recognizing that thinking is happening.
And it's possible to be aware of it.
If you find the thinking stops sharply when you become aware of it,
See if it's possible to settle back again.
And have the attitude to let the thoughts come to you.
You can also check the quality of effort you're using isn't too strong.
Remembering that thoughts are subtle mental objects.
And they're easily overrun by too much energy,
Too much force in the mind.
So really relax around whether you notice thoughts or not.
We don't want to over focus on thinking,
Trying to make thoughts happen.
But when they are there,
You can recognize them.
And it can be helpful initially when we're getting used to recognizing the mind,
Watching the mind.
To add a gentle internal label to the type of thinking that's happening.
In this way we start to recognize what kind of thoughts we're having without really going into the content.
You might recognize planning thoughts.
Thoughts that are anticipating a particular event.
Or noticing remembering back in the past.
Or rehearsing.
And don't think too much about the labels.
They don't have to be spot on.
Others you might notice.
Comparing mind.
Fantasizing mind.
The mind that can't really be bothered in this particular moment,
This particular practice.
Can't be bothered mind.
And we add the label not to catch ourselves out or to stop the thoughts,
But simply to know what's happening in the moment.
And if you find you've got caught up in the content or story of thinking,
Recognize storytelling mind.
So we're just recognizing the thoughts for what they are.
Thinking.
A thought object arising in the mind,
Persisting for a very short period of time and disappearing.
If we recognize them like this,
We can see we don't need to hold on.
The thought is here and then it's gone.
Here and gone.
What's happening in this moment?
So when we use labels,
The label is secondary to the knowing of the experience.
And you always have the option to just label thinking.
Thinking is happening.
And after a while you might notice that you don't need to use the labels.
The recognition in the mind that thinking is happening is enough.
If you find that you keep getting lost in thinking,
Lost in the contents of the thoughts,
It can be helpful every now and again to just come back to resting with body sensations or resting with the breath.
Taking up an object that's a little bit more tangible and allow thinking to recede into the background of experience.
So for a little while we rest with an object where it's easier to have more continuity of mindfulness.
And once you feel that mindfulness,
Awareness is a little bit stronger,
Then once again you can open up to the realm of thoughts and thinking and including images in the mind.
At times you might also tune into some of the different ways thoughts and thinking manifest in the mind.
Some thoughts feel more obvious and intentional.
Perhaps they feel quite loud and they have a lot of energy in them.
Sometimes that energy can be associated with strong emotion and sometimes strong conviction or belief.
There's a deliberate quality to this type of thinking that you might recognise.
And not to worry if you don't,
There will be many opportunities to notice thinking in meditation.
Other thoughts can feel quieter and lighter.
Perhaps with a slender thread connecting loosely one thought with another.
Or there can be a subtle inner narrative that might feel like it's happening in the depths of the mind.
It's like being deep in the ocean.
And this inner narrative can feel like it's always going on in some shape or form.
A thought doesn't necessarily come in just words or images.
There are all sorts of fragments of experience that form an inner language.
There can be a quality of knowing,
An inner direction or impulse,
As well as various perceptions and feelings.
Recognise what makes up a language.
What is a thought?
Not asking the question to get an answer,
But to stimulate more interest and curiosity in the process of thinking.
Notice any questions that naturally arise.
Sometimes the wisdom mind will throw up a question.
How do you know you're thinking?
What does a thought feel like in the mind?
Allow a thought to fall apart under a soft,
Curious,
Open,
Attentive awareness.
What is a thought?
What is a thought?
What is a thought?
What is a thought?
What is a thought?
What is a thought?
