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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hey, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to talk about how to create freedom from your thoughts. Now, if you're a human being and you have a mind, chances are you're very familiar with the stress that thoughts can create. Of course, thoughts can be very powerful and we can use them for critical thinking, imagining that future being creative. But there are also a lot of times where thoughts create extra anxiety, frustration, negative emotions.
And our tendency tends to be in those moments to try and stop the thoughts, get rid of them, or get angry at them as if felt magically disappear. And that's usually wasted energy. So one strategy we can use when working with thoughts is to become an observer to our thinking mind, rather than being caught in the thinking mind. I'll share a metaphor that helps me think about this. It's a river going down a mountain.
So if you think of a river going down a mountain as your stream of thoughts. We could be sucked into the rivers, smashing into the whitewater, the rocks, the banks. Really going wherever the river is taking us. Or we could be sitting on the bank of the river, watching the river go by. Same you, same river.
Different relationship, different experience entirely. And that's the quality of attention awareness that we're cultivating in mindfulness meditation. And the strategy I want to talk about here today, instead of being so sucked into your thinking mind and instead of even trying to fight it, quiet or get rid of it, what would it be like to simply become an observer to your thinking mind? A strategy that can help take that a step further is just to label the thought, thinking every time you notice it, right. So you might be sitting down or driving, standing or walking and you notice the thought of like, oh, why did I say that thing to that person before? Like, I shouldn't have done that. And we just, we notice the mind thinking, just go thinking another thought comes up.
Oh, there's a thing I need to do. I can't forget. Thinking. Another thought comes up, why is that person looking at me? Thinking. Right? And so now it's, it's as if you're eavesdropping on your mind having a conversation with itself.
And taking that relationship, not getting so sucked into the thought, not identifying so strongly with them instead, just observing them, allows us to find a little bit more ease as if we were sitting on the bank of the river watching it go by. So see if you can try this out today. You can take a few moments in silence to do it, or you can do it as you're going about your day. Thank you for your practice. I'll talk to you soon and until next time, take care.
Freedom From Thoughts
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hey, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to talk about how to create freedom from your thoughts. Now, if you're a human being and you have a mind, chances are you're very familiar with the stress that thoughts can create. Of course, thoughts can be very powerful and we can use them for critical thinking, imagining that future being creative. But there are also a lot of times where thoughts create extra anxiety, frustration, negative emotions.
And our tendency tends to be in those moments to try and stop the thoughts, get rid of them, or get angry at them as if felt magically disappear. And that's usually wasted energy. So one strategy we can use when working with thoughts is to become an observer to our thinking mind, rather than being caught in the thinking mind. I'll share a metaphor that helps me think about this. It's a river going down a mountain.
So if you think of a river going down a mountain as your stream of thoughts. We could be sucked into the rivers, smashing into the whitewater, the rocks, the banks. Really going wherever the river is taking us. Or we could be sitting on the bank of the river, watching the river go by. Same you, same river.
Different relationship, different experience entirely. And that's the quality of attention awareness that we're cultivating in mindfulness meditation. And the strategy I want to talk about here today, instead of being so sucked into your thinking mind and instead of even trying to fight it, quiet or get rid of it, what would it be like to simply become an observer to your thinking mind? A strategy that can help take that a step further is just to label the thought, thinking every time you notice it, right. So you might be sitting down or driving, standing or walking and you notice the thought of like, oh, why did I say that thing to that person before? Like, I shouldn't have done that. And we just, we notice the mind thinking, just go thinking another thought comes up.
Oh, there's a thing I need to do. I can't forget. Thinking. Another thought comes up, why is that person looking at me? Thinking. Right? And so now it's, it's as if you're eavesdropping on your mind having a conversation with itself.
And taking that relationship, not getting so sucked into the thought, not identifying so strongly with them instead, just observing them, allows us to find a little bit more ease as if we were sitting on the bank of the river watching it go by. So see if you can try this out today. You can take a few moments in silence to do it, or you can do it as you're going about your day. Thank you for your practice. I'll talk to you soon and until next time, take care.
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Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
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Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
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I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
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Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
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