---
ai_generation_date: '2026-08-23'
ai_model: gemini-3-pro-preview
audiodharma:
  talks:
    - date: '2020-11-18'
      mp3_url: https://audiodharma.us-east-1.linodeobjects.com/talks/12454/20201118-Gil_Fronsdal-IMC-guided_meditation_mindfulness_of_thinking.mp3
      speakers:
        - speaker_name: Gil Fronsdal
          speaker_url: https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1
      talk_start_time_seconds: 0
      title: 'Guided Meditation: Mindfulness of Thinking'
      url: https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/12454
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location_city: Redwood City, CA
video_unavailable: false
youtube:
  id: qVX9COlqqwc
  imprecise_upload_date: '2021-05-04'
  title: 'Guided Meditation: Mindfulness of Thinking'
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  uploader_str: Insight Meditation Center
  uploader_url: https://www.youtube.com/@InsightMeditationCenter
youtube_url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVX9COlqqwc
---

# Guided Meditation: Mindfulness of Thinking - [Gil Fronsdal](https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1)

_This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers._

## [Guided Meditation: Mindfulness of Thinking](https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/12454)

Good morning. This morning I'd like to say a few things about thinking in meditation. It's important not to make thinking an enemy to meditation; it can be a friend. And there are some important distinctions that help that happen.

One is to distinguish between thinking and what I call "thoughting." A thought is just an individual idea, sentence, or image. Thinking is when we leap from one thought to another, when the thoughts build and have a story. We get swept up in the continuity of the theme of the thinking. And so the prime example of thinking that is not helpful for meditation is discursive thinking. Holding a discourse, we're making commentary, we're telling a story, we're having a conversation, or reviewing a conversation. And those are the thinking we get swept away in, get pulled into their allure, and lose our mindfulness.

It's possible to have just a thought float up and float away and not be involved in it, not feed it with our interest, our concerns, or with the authority we give it. So in looking at thinking in meditation—and looking at it so that it's not our enemy, but rather our friend—the distinction is between thinking being what we get caught up in and feed and make a story that continues through time (a commentary), versus an individual thought that just floats up and comes and goes. We don't invest it with a lot of meaning, authority, hope, or expectation.

Some thoughts are actually quite helpful for meditation and for mindfulness. These thoughts are very simple recognitions: recognizing that this is an in-breath, that the in-breath is long or short or choppy; recognizing an exhale. A simple thought like, "What is the end of the exhale like?" opens the awareness to be more present for that. "What's the beginning of the inhale like?" The attention gets a little sharpened in the moment. Very simple thoughts of recognition, or thoughts which might be very simple instructions. You might feel an ache in the knees, and then the thought arises, "Let me bring attention into the middle of that ache." And so then you do.

In order to distinguish between these kinds of thinking, it also helps to learn how to observe thinking: to step back and turn around and look thinking right in the eye, to know, _this is thinking_. This is especially useful with discursive thought, not to make it a problem or feel that you're wrong for doing it, but to step out of the wind. It's kind of like you're in a strong wind that's pushing you around, and you step into a building that protects you from the wind, and you can look out the window and see that it's windy. To step away from the wind and the way we're pushed along by thinking, and recognize it as thinking. Recognize it as discursive thought, planning thoughts, or reviewing thoughts, and appreciating how simple awareness can be. Appreciating how relaxed and easy it might be possible to recognize clearly that thinking is happening.

If there's a lot of thinking, the strong winds of thinking are a symptom of an underlying pressure or tension to think. And sometimes it's possible to feel mindfully the underlying tension, pressure, or tightness. It might be physical in the face and the head, around the eyes or the jaw, in the brain area, anywhere. I call this the "thinking muscle." When there's a lot of thinking, see if you can relax the thinking muscle. Relax parts of your body. The more relaxation there is, the less power thinking has, the less the strength of the wind.

Also underlying strong thinking is often an emotion. Planning comes with fear often. There might be sometimes resentment and anger as the fuel, sometimes desire and excitement about what's happening. To really step back and look at thinking, sometimes we have to be mindful of the underlying emotion. And that's usually what really needs our attention; that's where the relaxation can happen most deeply.

## Guided Meditation

So, sitting here quietly with the eyes closed, relaxing your body. Maybe on the exhale, softening, relaxing the whole body, parts of the body. Maybe even having a very simple thought in your mind. Very light, no pressure. A thought of, "Relax," "It's okay," "Soften," "Open."

As you exhale, relax the thinking muscle. Relax where the pressure is to think, the physical tightness or pressure.

Some people think in words, some people in images. There might be a location where the inner voice speaks the words, or a location where the image appears. Is it possible to relax and soften that place, the location of thinking?

Is it possible to lessen the intensity of thinking, the energy of thinking? Dial down the voice, slow down the images.

And when thinking is light and doesn't pull you along, the winds of thinking are weak. This is a good time to settle into the breathing. Seeing if you can have continuity of attention for the whole inhale and the whole exhale.

Seeing if attention can be like a thread that you're threading through a series of breaths. Weaving through one breath after the other. The thread moves through, stays there, threading our breath gently. Weaving the breaths.

And if you find yourself thinking a lot, use a very simple recognition thought: "thinking," to see it clearly. Maybe letting it go, and come back to threading your breath.

Noticing if you're being swept along in the winds of thinking. See if you can step out of the wind and very simply have the thought that recognizes thinking is happening. A simple thought of recognition that is out of the wind and has no pressure in it, no tightness. Relaxing any pressure in thinking. Releasing some of the emotional hold on thinking.

And then have simple thoughts of beginning again with your breathing. A simple, simple thought of hanging in there, one breath after the other. Each exhale relaxing the thinking muscle, softening the thinking.

## Reflections

And then as we come to the end of the sitting, to recognize that what we think frequently becomes a habit. And also, it becomes an influence on us. And so, to be mindful of thinking gives us the opportunity to break habits, change what influences us.

It's possible with mindfulness of thinking to sometimes redirect our thoughts in healthy directions that have a beneficial influence on us and create good habits. And one of those is to have thoughts of goodwill. It doesn't have to be dramatic goodwill, but a simple, ordinary goodwill of friendliness, kindness. And to spend the last little minute of this sitting having thoughts of goodwill. Thinking kindly about people in your life, wishing them well. Considering how nice it would be if they were healthy and happy.

Thinking thoughts of goodwill for yourself. Thinking of how nice it would be if you could be well and happy. How nice it would be if you could have enjoyable and refreshing thoughts.

And then simple thoughts of goodwill for the whole world. Thinking kindly and friendly thoughts. In meditation we learn to be still. Being still, we can then look upon the world kindly. Be still, and gaze upon the world kindly.

May it be that our meditation practice supports us in changing the direction of our thinking from that thinking which does not serve us or serve anyone, to thoughts which are nourishing, inspiring, that serve us and serve the world around us. May it become the most natural thing for us to think well of people. First and foremost, to be friendly, have thoughts of friendliness. So it becomes second nature that we first and foremost wish for the happiness and welfare of all beings.

May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. May all beings be free.