Meditation on the Thinking Process Apply the Three Basic Elements of Mindfulness 1. Clarity a.

Distinguish the two main components: 1. Mental images Label it "Image" 2. Mental self-talk Label it "Talk" b. Observe them as a general process (ignore specific content) 1. Content: "I need to balance my check book." 2. Process: "Talk is occurring." 2. Concentration a. Focused on the thoughts (image & talk) b. Ignore other experiences (emotion, sensations, sounds) c. Re-focus when the mind wanders 3. Equanimity a. Don't try to resist or interfere with whatever comes up b. Allow it to come, stay, and go on it's own Other Points: 1. Nothing happening: just note "Rest" a. Blank screen (no "image") b. Quiet (no "talk") c. Only three possibilities: Image, Talk, Rest 2. Whatever happens is good a. Rest: Peaceful state, builds concentration b. Activity: developing an observer awareness, learning 3. Mental labels: a. Note once every few seconds b. Labels facilitate the observer perspective c. Options: 1. Spoken out loud (difficult experiences) 2. Silent labels 3. No labels (only observing)