How to Approach Thoughts in Meditation?

Sometimes people think that the goal of meditation is to stop thinking.

Even if that happens sometimes, that is not the point of meditation. The point of mindfulness meditation is to cultivate a friendly, non-aggressive attitude toward whatever is going on in your mind.

Mindfulness cultivates a friendly, non-aggressive attitude toward whatever is going on in your mind.

Observe thoughts, sensations and emotions as they appear and disappear in your mind-scape, with a gentle and alert acceptance. Not interfering, not pushing away or holding onto things.

The way things are in this moment is a great starting point. Notice, recognize and accept it. You do not need to ‘improve’ yourself first in order to meditate.

Actually, deeper change starts the moment you truly accept what is.

In everyday life we tend to see things as separate, solid and enduring. We perceive ourselves in that way and we also project it onto our surroundings. But the reality is quite the opposite and we are continuously exposed to disappointment. We invest enormous amounts of energy in creating protection for our Self, which we see as solid, enduring and separate, but… it keeps changing constantly…

Listen to the whole podcast:

This podcast on how to approach thoughts in meditation is recorded at the Mindfulness Meditation Course in Berlin, taught by Tatjana Mesar in April 2016. For more podcasts, go to our Soundcloud Channel.