It’s important to understand that your thought awareness practice is not about getting rid of thoughts. It’s simply about becoming aware of them. Thoughts will always arise. But by being more aware of your thoughts, you spend less time getting lost in a series of them. Typically, one thought leads to the next and the next. That’s how you can get lost in a train of thoughts for most of your day. With greater thought awareness, you develop the ability to recognize a thought has arisen, but you no longer follow it blindly down a rabbit hole.
Remember, progress in your thought awareness practice doesn’t come from focusing on how long you’re able to keep your attention on your breath. It’s the number of times you come back to your breath that retrains your brain and weakens your mind’s pull. Therefore, don’t get frustrated for getting lost in thought. If you do, just notice your frustration, and return your attention to your breath. Never berate yourself for getting lost in a thought. Celebrate every time you come out of it. Because progress in your thought awareness practice doesn’t come from focusing on how long you’re able to keep your attention on your breath. It comes from the number of times you notice your mind has wandered. It’s the coming back to your breath that retrains your brain and weakens your mind’s pull.
