First of all we observe our thoughts and label them: bored thought, excited thought, thought about cleaning the fridge, etc.
Then we try to find the beginning of a thought. This is different for all of us. In my case thoughts seem to arrive on the right side, in front of me, about 50cm from my body, the same height as my neck. A student yesterday had her thoughts circling her around her waste like a parade of soft footed animals.
Once we can identify the beginning of a thought we can also identify its' middle and its' end.
We can wave the thought goodbye so to speak and realize that it was just visiting us.
That is the next realisation. We need to be aware of the fact that our thoughts are visitors.
We are not our thoughts.
When we are able to observe our thoughts in this manner, like visitors coming and going, we will soon be able to observe gaps between our thoughts.
These gaps are tremendously relaxing and beneficial.
An observed thought is a collapsed thought.
The more we bring our thoughts into awareness, instead of running after them, following them, here and there and everywhere... the more we can relax.
It is extremely beneficial for you and for others when you are relaxed.
So beat the stress: observe your thoughts!
The next step is to question the thoughts that visit us.
Are they true?
Most of the time they are not actually.
We can dismiss them as soon as we find they are not true.
An untrue thought that has been found out will disappear from the scene of the mind altogether.
the better we get at spotting untrue thoughts, the easier they go. Back to where they came from, where ever that is...
Ramana Maharashi, the master of enquiry
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