LEAVES ON A STREAM
Completing the ‘Leaves on a stream’ mindfulness session is beneficial even if meditation isn’t your thing. The recording is ten minutes long but you can stop it before its conclusion (2 to 3 minutes in) if it suits you better (although devoting 10 minutes to yourself a day is great as you are worth it!!!)
You may wish to, once you are familiar with the technique, abandon the recording and use the technique if and when you need it throughout the day. However, others may like to use a guided meditation first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
It will assist you to learn to step back from your thoughts and view them as mental events passing through the mind rather than absolute truths. In this way, thought diffusion provides a powerful way to deal effectively with painful, unhelpful or self-defeating thoughts and beliefs.
If you have difficulty visualising the stream, no problem; change the vision to suit you such as pieces of luggage on a moving conveyor belt, or cars driving past outside your house, or clouds or birds in the sky.
The goal is for you to improve your ability to unhook yourself from your thoughts and it is necessary to practice this technique with every thought that arises, both pleasant and unpleasant, helpful and unhelpful. After a few attempts, you will find it second nature when unhelpful thoughts invade your mind.
This exercise can be used during moments of distress so that you can learn to be in control of your thoughts and how they make you feel, rather than them controlling you.
Enjoy!
Jayne x
