Quick release for busy minds

This meditation helps you practice releasing thoughts gently and without judgment. You’ll work with all kinds of thoughts—important, silly, stressful, or random—building the skill of letting go. Over time, this makes it easier to drop thoughts that don’t serve you.

Why this helps? Practicing quick release trains your brain to let go of unhelpful thoughts in daily life.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Thought Bubble Meditation. This meditation is a little like a video game. Every time you notice a thought,

Thought Bubble Method Introduced

SPEAKER_00 0:15

sound, or feeling, put it in a bubble and let it float away. You may notice many different kinds of thoughts. Happy thoughts, boring thoughts, important thoughts, silly thoughts, songs, memories, future thoughts. Simply put each thought you notice in a bubble and let it float away. You might think, I'm not thinking any thoughts at all. That's a thought too, so you can put that in a bubble and let it float away. We're practicing the art of quick release, just like in basketball. When you practice releasing the ball as quickly as possible.

Quick Release Basketball Analogy

SPEAKER_00 0:57

You do this over and over again in practice. So when you're in the game, you've developed that skill to catch and pass the ball quickly without thinking. You've developed the muscle memory of quick release. This is something you build over time. With repetition, you develop the muscle memory of letting go so that you can pass the ball as quickly as possible when you need to in the game. It's the same thing with our thoughts. So when you recognize thoughts that aren't helpful, you'll have developed that capacity to let them go. Let's try it out now. To begin, place both your feet flat on the floor. Take a comfortable sitting position in which your back is straight and your body is

Posture And Setup Cues

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relaxed. Your hands can be gently folded on your lap or placed palms down on your thighs. Allow yourself to settle into an alert, yet relaxed sitting position, inviting an attitude of open curiosity as you explore your thoughts. Aware of sitting and breathing. Just allow yourself to relax and be just as you are. Now turn your attention to any thoughts that may be arising in your mind's eye. Each time you notice a thought,

Core Bubble Practice Guidance

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put it in a bubble and let it float away. Simply sitting, allowing yourself to be relaxed just as you are, and when you notice a thought arising, put it in a bubble and let it float away. It doesn't matter what kind of thought it is, positive thoughts, stressful thoughts, no need to hold on to them. Just put each one in a bubble and let it float away. Sometimes you may find you have no thoughts. Instead you just notice sounds or feelings. That's okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Just put that in a bubble and let it float away.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Sometimes we get caught up in thoughts and daydreams or problems. As soon as you notice you've been swept up by a story, simply let it all be encased in a bubble.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

And let it float away.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Put it in a bubble and let it float away, treating each thought the same, regardless of the content, each thought wrapped equally in a bubble, allowing them all to float away. Continue in this way for some moments in silence, and when you hear the bell, you can allow the sound of the bell

Silent Practice And Closing Reflection

SPEAKER_00 5:10

to gently bring you out of the meditation. And relaxing your attention right now. Notice how you feel and what your experience is like after having practiced the thought bubble meditation. Notice the different thoughts that were on your mind, some that you expected, some you might not have expected. Be curious. Just reflect for a moment. What surprised you? Were there fewer thoughts or more thoughts than you expected? Were they happier than you expected? Or the opposite? You're cultivating self-knowledge when you reflect on your experience. So when you're ready, you can open your eyes.