Trouble with Acceptance of Thoughts

[the.mindful.lens]

Sorry Aly, I have just read my last post and realised just how far away it was from what you probably need.

The simpler version is this.
1. Put some ambient soundtrack on with headphones on ( I suggest using the free Mynoise .net. Brilliant selection of ever changing sounds and totally free )
2. Start to take deeper breaths - ideally with a pause between inhale and exhale.
3. Once you get into the rhythm of these breaths start to count the breaths by saying in your head "inhale 1; exhale : pause ; inhale 2 ; exhale 2,"
4. Do this from 1 to 10 then back down to zero.
5. Every time you start to think just say to yourself " Thinking" and go back to the counting.
6. Keep remembering that thoughts are just natural so acknowledge any thought but go back to the counting as if nothing has gone wrong.
7. Don't worry about how often you have to do this - remember Mindfulness is about training your brain to concentrate on the breathing.
8. Don't think that it will get better after a few attempts - your brain will be more or less thoughtful every time you sit down to meditate - that's just life.
9. Over time extend the period of concentration on the breath by starting to go back up to 10 again - then
up to 10 and back down to zero for a second time - and so on for as long as you feel it is helping train your brain.

Hope this is more on the lines that you need - sorry for my false start

Peter