Methods for Reducing Unwanted Thoughts During Meditation

1.      Imagine unwanted thoughts as gray clouds against a blue sky – Blow away the clouds with your breath as you exhale.  Continue until the sky is clear blue

2.      Imagine writing the thought on a piece of paper, then throwing it into a fire and burning it up.

3.      If there is a thought you want to remember for later like a creative idea, just file it away in a briefcase or filing cabinet where you can refer to it later.

4.      Withdraw from your thoughts using the Withdrawal Meditation:

Send your awareness outside the building you are in – into the street.  Become aware of external noises.  You may also be aware of the energy and atmosphere outside the building, especially if there is traffic or people moving around.  Try not to label the noises or energetic vibrations, but just be aware of any sounds you may hear.

Gently withdraw yourself from the outside environment into the building.  Try to take in the building, no matter how large it is.  Become aware of any sounds, energies or movement within the building.

Now gently withdraw yourself from the rest of the building into the room that you are in.  Become aware of the sounds, energies, and atmosphere of the room.

Now gently withdraw yourself from the room into your own body – into yourself.  Become aware of the sounds, sensations, movements, and energies within your own body.

Now gently withdraw from your body into a place inside yourself where there is stillness – into your center.  There exists inside you a place of stillness, silence, and peace.  Find the place inside that is quiet and allow yourself to rest in that place for several minutes.  Anytime a thought comes through, release it and return to that place of stillness.

As you prepare to return to the outside space, very gradually begin to be aware of what you are experiencing – the feeling of relaxation inside your body, the contents of your mind, and once again be aware of the place of peace and stillness inside.  You may wish to find a few reminders, or keys for what this feels like to help you return to this state of consciousness more easily and effortlessly.  These keys or cues might be a body sensation, a color, a word, an image, or even a sound.

Open your eyes (or move them around if you kept them open), take several deep breaths an allow yourself to stretch and reawaken fully, feeling alert and refreshed. [From ‘The High Performance Mind’, 1997]