Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Meditation - Observe the Mind at a Distance

Episode Date: February 7, 2023

This morning, practice a classic meditation technique in which you observe your thoughts at a distance. Want to be more focused? Wish distractions would just melt away? Sign up for the WMU Focus Course! If you're interested in joining, all you need to do is sign up for the course here: https://wakemeuppod.gumroad.com/l/focus. Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content + 25% discount on WMU courses by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Amazon - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. See visual guides for the yoga and stretches in WMU episodes at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/stretches. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wake Me Up is made possible thanks to the generous help of our advertisers and premium supporters. If you'd like to support Wake Me Up, listen ad-free, and get access to the entire catalog plus bonus episodes, then follow the link in the show notes to sign up for Wake Me Up premium. Now before our episode begins, here's a quick word from our sponsors. Hey there, and welcome back to Wake Me Up. I'm Tyler, your host as always. This week, we're talking about being the observer of the mind and how that can offer a sense of freedom from emotional turmoil, self-criticism, and any kind of suffering. Today, in this meditation, we're going to do a classic meditation technique

that will help you practice this idea of observing the mind as something separate from you. And let's not waste any time. Let's go ahead and dive right in. So find a comfortable position that you like to meditate in. As you probably know, I recommend that you meditate sitting up, but that's only because I don't want you to fall asleep. We all have different spaces and different preferences, so do what feels best for you.

And once you've found that position, allow yourself to settle in, let go of any tension that you're holding on to, and put aside any to-does or anything else. that you have on your mind. You've chosen to be here and do this meditation. Everything else will be waiting for you when you're done. Now, take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, slowly close your eyes.

In the first moment or two of meditation, the mind tends to be the most active, and one trick to help quiet an active mind is to relax the body. The state of the mind follows the state of the body. So, soften your face, relax all of those facial muscles, unclench your jaw, and let your shoulders drop down, and simply follow that natural rise and fall of your own breath. Breathing at whatever pace feels natural to you. As you continue to sit here, undoubtedly, thoughts will arise.

And that's okay. That's exactly what we want to happen. When you notice that a thought has come up, acknowledge it for exactly what it is. Just a thought. And maybe you even say that to each thought that comes by. Just another thought. A visual helps some people with this technique.

So one thing you can try is to imagine that you're just watching clouds pass by in the sky. Each of your thoughts being a cloud. And no matter what you do, you're not going to change what those clouds are doing. They're going to come and go on their own time. and so you can just sit back and watch them, observe them. Maybe you'll learn something from them. Maybe you won't.

Either way, there's just clouds going by. Just another thought. All right, we've got about another minute to go. So if your mind has wandered off, followed a thought down some long trail. That's okay. Bring yourself back. and reset and just continue watching those thoughts pass by.

All right, it's time to wrap up our meditation now. So begin to bring yourself back. Notice whatever's supporting you. Notice the air on your skin. Notice any sounds going on around you. Take one final deep breath in. And as you exhale, slowly open your eyes. Just take a second to gather yourself.

All right. So I hope you enjoyed that classic meditation technique. It really is a powerful one if you repeat it over and over. The truth is, you are not your thoughts. They are simply biological happenings. They don't define who you are. They don't mean you're a good person or a bad person. They're just thoughts.

and so the more you practice this technique, the more you'll be able to distance yourself from every thought. Through that, you'll find more emotional stability and more freedom. Tomorrow, I'll be back with a series of positive affirmations to help these ideas sink a little bit deeper into your mind so that you can take them out into your daily life with a bit more ease. So, I hope to see you there. And until then, go out and have a fantastic day.