Jack: When we first start practicing mindfulness, we see how often we are caught in the inner dialogue, living inside a home movie with repeating stories, incessant thoughts, a virtual reality or trance. This begins to change as we gain skill in recognizing when we're caught in that virtual reality. Gradually, there are increasing stretches where we're here, awake in our senses, and able to feel the vividness and flow of moment-to-moment presence.

If being lost in thought is like being inside a cloud, these gaps between thoughts are filled with the brightness and openness of awareness. One of the most profound shifts that results is in our sense of self. When we’re lost in thoughts, our attention is primarily focused on ourselves - how we're doing, what we're wanting, what we’re fearing, how we compare to others - and for many, the stream of thoughts reinforces a sense of a limited self - a stressed or oppressed self.

In contrast, when thoughts are not the predominant experience shaping our reality when we're connected to our senses, this fear-based self-centeredness fades. Our world then enlarges and becomes more immediate. We witness our own moods and are more attuned to the feelings and life of others. We listen and take in the sounds and scents and colors around us. We become more spontaneous, more inwardly free. Of course, thoughts still arise, but they don't take over and separate us from this vibrant, mysterious essence of what we are.

In today’s guiding mindfulness practice, we’ll take time to allow the thinking mind to settle so that you can explore the field of presence beyond thoughts. As you have, find a comfortable posture for practice. Allow your body to settle and your mind to be at ease. Take a few full breaths, and then let the breath resume its natural cycle, bringing a relaxed and focused attention to your primary anchor of the breath or body.

As you sense the breath and body, let your intention also be to notice thoughts when they arise. If naming them helps, feel free to label thoughts - “thinking,” or “worrying,” or “imagining.” Notice the difference between being inside the thought and the experience of being here, aware of sounds, sensations. Each time you come back and gently return, relax with your anchor or rest in whatever is predominant in the senses.

When you notice that you’ve been inside the veil of thoughts, you might ask yourself, “Have I been dreaming?” If so, sense the difference between the dream - virtual reality - and what is right here and now. Relax fully in the presence that’s here, senses awake.
Look directly at the nature of thoughts. Where do the thoughts come from? Where do they go to? Resting in your senses, be aware of the gap between thoughts, see how fully you can relax, and notice what this is like. Naturally, the mind will produce thoughts. This is fine. Simply notice, and as you do, again, relax and open into the senses. Become curious about the space between thoughts. Resting in your senses, be aware of the gap between thoughts. See how fully you can relax, simply noticing “What is this like?”

Now, let yourself notice how awareness moves from breath, to sensations, to feelings, to thoughts. You may sense experience flowing like a river, and as you do, you can also sense the background to experience. Rest in awareness, the mysterious presence that is always here.
© Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
Reprinted by permission.