Be the observer of your thoughts

If you've ever caught yourself rerunning the same unwanted scenario over and over again in your brain like a stuck record - wishing only that it never happened in the first place - you're not alone. Known as 'sticky' thoughts for their ability to stay put no matter how much you try to move on from them, it sometimes can feel like we spend way too much time in our own heads. 

Whether you want to be free of the constraints of your mind or just want to practice more awareness, I want to share with you a simple practice of observation. With a little practice and some compassion, we can free up more space in our heads and break our minds addiction to the story.

1. Start this meditation by slowing down your breathing and settling into your space. Focus on your breath and use counts to equalise as you breathe in and breathe out.
2. When ready, let go of your breath and allow space in your mind for your thoughts to arise. Invite in all thoughts - big or small - to come up to the surface. You could take this a step further and visualise this as a slow moving stream with your thoughts in the form of logs sitting on the surface.
3. Practice picking up one of those logs and labelling it for what it is - an errand to run - a memory - an opinion - and then let go of it without getting pulled into its story. 
4. Watch each thought float by, without noticing their content or emotional charge, and be carried away into the horizon. Practice your ability to pull yourself back to the observer every time you're sucked into a thought. 

This simple meditation technique is a really effective way of practicing your own mental awareness and can help you build more resilience against unwanted distractions. Remember, we are not our thoughts and we do not always need to know their story. 

If you'd like to practice a longer, more advanced version of this observation meditation then get in touch with me at [email protected] to arrange 1-2-1 sessions in person or online. ​