Awareness of Thoughts Meditation
Awareness of thoughts meditation is about recognizing the transience of thoughts, that thoughts come & go… while the awareness of thoughts is not transient, and does not come & go.
This can bring about preventative relief & relaxation in regard to ‘being triggered’ by, ‘being reactive’ to, or ‘getting sucked into’, thoughts.
The greater implication is mental & emotional equanimity, and insight into the actuality of thoughts, emotions, the presence of sensation and arising desires.
This practice helps with experiencing thoughts less personally, and therein not automatically believing and or reacting to arising thoughts.
Additionally, this meditation allows insight into any habitual patterns of thinking and related behaviors and actions.
This is a practice which you can sit comfortably for, and or, bring to mind and employ anytime throughout the day. As a more formal seated practice, if it is preferred, close your eyes.
Allow awareness of the feeling sensation of breathing in the stomach, and allow the body to relax. After a few minutes of feeling the breath, shift attention to the various thoughts that are arising, perhaps even persisting, and then passing.
Observe the arising & passing thoughts, and if ‘triggering’ or any bodily tension occurs, shift focus back to feeling the breath & relaxing the body.
Notice the distinction between awareness of thoughts arising, vs the implications, or ‘content’ of thoughts. Mindfully be aware, without adding any resistance.
Notice the content of thoughts, any emotions accompanying them, and any habitual reactions, and again, breathe & relax the body.
Allow natural curiously about the thoughts. For example, are the thoughts images, words, in color or black & white, how do thoughts feel, etc. Be sure to notice any gaps or pauses between thoughts.
When ‘lost’ into the content of thoughts, or the emotional response to thoughts; simply note this, and again observe the appearing & disappearing nature of thoughts. Notice any ‘grasping’, as in ‘clinging to’, thoughts.
Optional:
There are various metaphors and images you can use to help observe the transience of thoughts:
Imagining you are as vast and open as the sky, and thoughts are simply clouds, birds, or planes passing through the open space.
Imagining you are sitting on the side of a river watching thoughts float by like leaves or ripples in the stream.
Imagine thoughts are like cars, buses, or trains passing by. Every time it is realized so to speak, you are thinking, notice - you can “get off the bus/train” and return to observing. Begin to notice you never actually come & go, but the believing of thoughts makes this seem so.
Please be gentle with yourself if you notice that you are constantly caught up in your thoughts instead of observing them. This is both common and normal. When you realize that ‘you are thinking’, gently and compassionately return to observing the thoughts.
If the content of any thoughts is too disturbing or distressing, gently shift your attention to breathing, feeling, relaxing the body and hearing sounds around you.
Remember that you are not trying to stop thoughts, or only allow certain thoughts to arise, or figure anything out. Try to treat all thoughts equally and let them pass away without engaging in their content.
This practice can initially be more challenging than other meditations. If you are just beginning, practice this meditation for only a few minutes at a time if that is more comfortable. Never force or push through. Relax & breathe.
It can be helpful to treat thoughts the same way that you treat sounds or bodily sensations, and view them as impersonal events that arise and pass.
Some people like to assign numbers or nicknames to reoccurring thoughts in order to reduce their pull and effect.