Mindful Moments: Mindfulness of Thoughts

“A thought is not a fact – a thought is just a thought.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn

We often treat our thoughts like they are facts, eg: “I’ll never be able to do that,” “nobody gets me” or “she’s a jerk!” When we start to notice our thoughts with curiosity; and think about our thoughts, we move away from believing that the thought is a fact.

Start this activity with mindfulness of the breath. Then notice the thoughts that come into your head. Accept them without judgement. Thoughts are not positive or negative, not good or bad; they are just a thought that you are having at this particular moment.

You may notice as you become aware of your thought, it passes and is replaced with another thought. That’s what happens, they come and go…

Some people like using the metaphor that thoughts are like clouds, allow them to float by like clouds in the sky or like leaves on a stream. Notice each passing thought, and the one that comes after it, and then the one that comes after that.

You may notice just as you become aware of a thought, it passes and is replaced by another though. That’s what happens – thoughts come and they go.

Finally bring yourself back to awareness of the breath.