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Expert GuidanceThinking About Thinking

Thinking About Thinking

When you first sit to meditate, you might be surprised by how many thoughts you see in the mind.

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When we first sit to meditate, we might be surprised by just how many thoughts we see in the mind. We might even think, wow, I have so many thoughts. Where did they all come from? Why does meditation make me think so much? Well, the good news is that is not the meditation that makes us think. We're simply seeing the mind more clearly and therefore witnessing more of the thoughts that we're experiencing. We might even notice that there's different kinds of thoughts. There are those on the surface, list of things to do, thoughts about work, about friends or family. And then as those start to dissipate you might start to notice those beneath that, things that have been there for ages but that we've never really been aware of before. But it's worth remembering that as we see these thoughts it's really tempting to start thinking about the thinking. And it's tricky because these thoughts about thoughts can be really interesting. So we start thinking, oh wow, there's that thought again. I wonder what it means? But of course thoughts, whether they're about meditation or about our shopping, they're just thoughts. So whatever thoughts arise in the mind, we see it, we acknowledge it, we let it go....

Details

TypeExpert Guidance
Duration2 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

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  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

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  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

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  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

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  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

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