Letting Go of the Day: A Gentle Night Meditation

The average human mind has over six thousand thoughts in a single day. In our last practice, we focused on releasing the day. Tonight, we’ll work with those thousands of thoughts, not by fighting them, but by simply letting them pass by. Find a position that feels comfortable and supported.

Allowing your eyes to gently close. Let your hands rest somewhere they can be at ease. Bring your awareness to your breath. No need to change it. Just notice the gentle rise on the inhale... and the soft release on the exhale. Feeling the body grow a little heavier... a little more settled with each breath out.

As you rest here, thoughts will naturally arise. That is what the mind does. Instead of following them, or pushing them away, we are just going to watch. Imagine you are sitting by the bank of a slow, gently moving stream. Each thought that comes into your mind is a single leaf, placed upon the water.

When a thought appears… a memory… a worry… a plan… simply notice it. Acknowledge it without judgment. And then, place that thought-leaf onto the stream… and watch as the current gently carries it away… drifting out of sight. Another thought will arrive. Simply notice it. Place it on the water.

And watch it float away. There is nothing else you need to do. Just this. Noticing. And letting go. Continue this for a few moments. Patiently watching the stream of your own mind… allowing it to flow past, without getting swept away. Creating space. Creating quiet. Your only task now is to rest.