Hi friend!
A long decade ago when I was living in Tanzania I got into freediving. During one session I dove ten metres down, holding my breath, and the weights around my waist got tangled up in the diving line that was guiding me to the bottom of the ocean floor. At first I panicked, but then I remembered a meditation we used to do in yoga class, whereby we simply observe the thoughts without following them. I felt my thoughts go into panic-mode, but instead of identifying with them I could simply observe them, stay calm, slowly unwind the weights from the line, and like a mermaid out for a Sunday swim I got back to the surface. I have used this technique plenty of times during my illness as my body convulsed in pain and it has saved my life.
So in today’s meditation we are going to gently practice not engaging with our thoughts. We will be using the breath, too, as a guide.
Here is a version without music:
How did it go?
How did you find this meditation?
Was it hard to observe your thoughts and not follow them?
Which were the most incessant thoughts?
How did you feel afterwards?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. It makes me so happy to hear from you.
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Thank you so much for listening to this meditation. If you know someone who could benefit from this, then please share this page with them. You are also more than welcome to share it in your Facebook or other patient support groups.
Calming an overactive mind [Meditation for chronic illness folks #10]