Mindfulness of thinking continues the effort to broaden the field of awareness. Thoughts can be primarily words, primarily images or a combination. Anything imagined is regarded as a thought. Our thoughts are largely conditioned by our past experiences. They are central to the actions that we take. Yet we are often unaware of our thoughts; we are simply identified with them and caught in the “story”. Mindfulness of thinking allows us to develop a greater degree of freedom in our thinking and in our actions.
Practicing Mindfulness of Thinking.
• Settle into your sitting position with an erect but relaxed posture.
• Take several deep breaths. Then allow your breath to flow in its normal, ever changing manner.
• With a quality of spacious awareness, rest your attention in the sensation of the breath flowing in and flowing out either at the tip/rims of your nostrils or in your chest or abdomen, wherever the sensations are most predominant.
• When you become aware that your awareness has been pulled away from the breath or that you have become lost in thought, hold that thought in your non-judgmental awareness until it disappears. Then return to the breath with gentleness and without any commentary or judgment.
See if you can become aware of exactly when and where a thought arises from. Does it come from the sides of the mind space, the back? Or does it just appear in mind’s eye? Try to see it arise from nothing, become manifested, and watch it pass away into nothing. Become aware of the emptiness of thoughts and rest in that emptiness. When a thought arises just let it go without following the chain of subsequent thoughts.
See if you can bring awareness to the exact moment when a thought very subtly pulls your awareness away from the breath. And be aware of the very slight mind movement that brings awareness back to the breath. Notice how very little effort is required to drop a thought and return to the present moment.
• If you ever feel confused about what you are experiencing or what you should do, simply return your attention to the breath.
• Continue this practice until your meditation period is over.
• During the day, take a few moments to be mindful of your breath, body sensations, moods and thoughts. This is a good way of helping yourself to settle down into the present moment and to bring your meditation practice into your everyday life.
