Try This Out

Here’s a transcript of two random tracks from The Mindfulness Prescription to Adult ADHD audio CD. The actual recordings are slow, with lengthy pauses for implementation of the instructions.

The first track, “Mindful Breathing,” is fairly simple for beginners. It involves only physical sensations that are not uncomfortable for those not yet affiliated with presence and mindfulness.

Mindful Breathing

In this first formal meditation practice, you’ll be training yourself to focus and monitor your attention toward the sensations of your breath. In the process, you will also learn to catch yourself when distracted. I will guide you to this practice as sitting-down meditation. However, if restlessness makes it difficult for you to sit, feel free to practice awareness of the breath while walking slowly.

Find a relaxed and comfortable sitting position, either on the floor using a cushion for support or in a chair. Keep your back upright and relaxed, as if you’re sitting in a posture of dignity. Place your hands on your lap or on your side. Close your eyes or keep them half closed and resting in one spot. Set an intention to practice focusing on the breath for the next few minutes. Take a deep breath, and allow yourself to simply rest in the present moment. Let your usual preoccupations or a need to do something else fall into the background. Focus on your breath in one spot—either at your nostrils, chest, or belly. Bring your full attention to the breath. Notice the natural flow of air coming in and going out. We will practice this in silence for a few minutes. Remember, if your mind wanders off one hundred times, gently bring it back one hundred times.

Where is your attention right now? If you noticed that your mind has wandered off to sounds outside or to your thoughts, that’s okay. Simply and gently remind yourself of your intention and return to the breath. Practice being kind to yourself, don’t judge your experience as good or bad. Simply be curious about how your mind works.

As we end this meditation, offer yourself some appreciation for taking the time to pause, for training your attention and awareness and connecting more fully with yourself in the present moment. (Ding!)

Mind Like a Sky

In this practice, you’re invited to watch or witness the flow of your thinking. Instead of being caught up in it, you’ll practice observing your thinking as an ever-changing stream, similar to watching clouds float across the sky.

Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Become grounded in the present moment by noticing your breathing. Relax your body. When you feel settled, bring to mind a spacious blue sky with white clouds floating across it. As you bring the image to your mind, see if you can sense your awareness as being like the blue sky, fast and spacious, and larger than the passing clouds. With such spacious awareness, you can watch your thoughts and feelings as if they were clouds coming and going. As you watch your thinking, see if you can label your thoughts and feelings without personalizing them. For example, “Oh, there is worry,” “sadness,” “remembering,” and judgmental thought, a memory, or an image. Notice that like clouds, your thoughts may go by quickly or slowly. They may be linked with each other or floating separately. They may appear light and fluffy or dark and heavy.

As you do this practice, it is easy to get lost in thinking, to go into the clouds of thoughts and become enveloped with their content. Whenever that happens, become aware of your breath and reground yourself in the present moment. Then, return to watching your mind.

As you watch your thoughts flow, see if you can sense the space between them. The space of open awareness is the place where you can observe your mind without being pulled by it. It is the space from which you can note thoughts or feelings but choose to not act on them.

We’ll do this in silence for a minute or so.

End by giving yourself some appreciation for taking the time to pause and notice your thinking from a new perspective. (Ding!)

Other tracks in this CD include Body Scan, a meditation that involves listening to one’s body sensations, and RAIN, a more complex mindful meditation that involves sitting and being okay with uncomfortable emotions.

Coming next month: The Adult ADHD questionnaire, and more fascinating insights on the subject.