This practice will support you in bringing your kind and curious attention to the process of thinking. As with the Rest practice (in chapter 1), the easiest way to do this is to download the audio version from http://www.newharbinger.com/33766. Alternatively you can read through the following instructions and then set a timer for five minutes and practice watching thoughts come and go.
Start by sitting or lying in a comfortable position with your back straight, your body relaxed, and your eyes closed. Bring your attention to the breath and to the rhythmic expansion and release of the breath in the belly. Use the breath to settle into the Still Quiet Place between the in-breath and the out-breath…
Remember that if you find yourself lost in thought, you can return to the Still Quiet Place at any time simply by refocusing your attention on the rhythm of the breath…
Now begin watching your thoughts, as though you were standing on a sidewalk watching people walk by… Perhaps you can notice when a particular thought comes into view, passes by, and then moves out of sight.
Perhaps you can notice that thoughts, like people, have personalities. Some are loud, others are shy, some are funny, others are somewhat cruel, and some are stubborn, coming back again and again…and again.
Just sitting, breathing, and watching the thoughts.
Do your best to stay on the sidewalk and let the thoughts go by rather than walk down the street with them.
And when you find yourself walking with the thoughts (which we all do), congratulate yourself for noticing. Then return your attention to the breath, feeling the rhythm of the in-breath and the out-breath… When your attention is stable, you can begin again, to watch the thoughts.
You may notice that some thoughts are alone while others travel in groups, or that one thought can gather a crowd of thoughts, feelings, and physical experiences, like a headache or a smile…
Just keep breathing and watching…
With practice, you may find moments when the thoughts drift into the background…
What is it that has the power to watch the thoughts?
It is your Still Quiet Place, or another word for it is awareness. See if you can rest in awareness and let the thoughts walk by.
Stay here watching your thoughts for as long as you like. And remember, you can always choose to rest in the Still Quiet Place and watch the thoughts go by, without believing them or taking them personally.
So now that you have read the practice, set your timer and give thought watching a try.