If you are wondering how to practice mindfulness let me share a quick and easy technique you can use.

A common belief about mindfulness is that it is just a passive relaxation technique.

This is not the case.  Mindfulness is not about sitting quietly and relaxing letting your mind wander.  There is more to it than that.

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If you’re serious about mindfulness, you need to become AWARE of what is going on inside you.
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If you are not able to observe what is going on inside of you then you are misleading yourself.  While you may be doing all the right things on the surface, you are not changing anything within.

So, I would like to share with you a really simple technique I use myself and which I used when introducing my kids to mindfulness.

It is an easy method that will quickly help you bring your attention to your thoughts.

The Thought Train Technique

After practicing The Thought Train Technique every day for a few weeks your awareness will begin to expand.

As your awareness increases you may find you become calmer and happier.

So what is this technique?  Let me break it down.

The 3-Steps to The Thought Train Technique:

Step 1: Focus on what the voice in your head is saying

Step 2: Visualise your thoughts as trains of words

Step 3: Watch the trains of thought as they come and go

Here’s why this technique works so well (and what it has to do with a Train):

Have you ever been listening to someone telling you a story and then found you missed half of what they are saying because your mind has wandered off?

Of course!  It happens to everyone.

We tend to get carried along (unconsciously) by one train of thoughts until another one is triggered.  In fact, we spend most of our waking life on one train of thought or another.

What you’re doing with the Thought Train Technique is becoming aware of all those trains of opinions, judgements, plans, ideas, etc. in your head by visualising them.

All of a sudden YOU become the onlooker and this gives you the choice whether to step onto that train of thoughts or not.

Step #1: Focus on the Voice in Your Head

First things first.  Find somewhere you won’t be disturbed.

You can practice mindfulness anywhere, but when you are getting started it is easiest to find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Sit down and get yourself comfortable.

Personally, I recommend closing your eyes as this cuts out visual distractions, but it is not essential.  Do whatever feels right for you.

So what now?

That’s easy: relax!  Just settle down and enjoy some “me” time.

Hmmm….you may be thinking that is easier said than done.

Most of us have loads of thoughts swirling around our minds

Such as:

“I must remember to phone Mum to wish her a Happy Birthday.”,

“I should be working, as that deadline is looming.”,

“My back aches.”

“He shouldn’t have done that.”….

Your thoughts become the running commentary that goes through your mind most of the time.  This is “The Voice in Your Head.”

Now you know what I am talking about, sit there and listen to that voice for a bit.

Well this may come as a surprise but…

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You are not the voice in your head.
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More about that later.

For the moment, focus on your thoughts and become aware of them.

You don’t have to do anything about your thoughts,  just observe them and let them be.

There are no right or wrong thoughts and there is nothing wrong with thinking – you are human!

Take a bit of time to get used to this way of looking at your experience.

OK?

So you’ve recognised that you have all these thoughts in your head, but what’s so special about that?

Well, you have taken the first important step of separating “You” from your thoughts.

Huh?

Well the truth is most of the time we don’t examine any of our thoughts, in fact we aren’t aware of them at all.

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If we never examine our thoughts, then we are going through life on auto-pilot, reacting to everything as it arises.
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So how do we increase our awareness of our thoughts?

Step #2: Visualise Your Thoughts as Trains of Words

If I gave you a pen and paper right now, you would be able to write down whatever thoughts come into your head.

However, the likelihood is that you would find it very hard to write fast enough to record them all!

So, what you need to do now is imagine that each thought is a train of words.

Here’s how to do it:

It’s as if you have a news ticker streaming through your head.

Let me give you an example:

“I’ve got to get this done by lunchtime…  I wish the builders would stop that noise so I can concentrate… It is a horrible day… She just doesn’t understand…”

Get the idea?

Now sit quietly for a bit and notice your thoughts as if they are long trains of words that come and go.

You will probably notice that your thought trains appear and disappear and that they are very random.

It is very likely that you will get carried away by one of your trains of thought.

You will feel the urge to follow one of your trains of thoughts, and if you do this, it will lead to another thought and then another.

Before you know it you will be off on that thought and no longer be aware that you are thinking.

This is where the reference to the trains come in.

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Thoughts are like trains because you can choose to step on or off them.
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Yes, you have a choice!

You can step off them and remain where you are;

Or,

You can step onto a train of thought and be carried away.

With this mindfulness exercise you are are trying to step off your Thought Train.

The trick is, as soon as you realise you have stepped onto a train of thought, to step off it again as quickly as possible by choosing not to follow it anymore.

That is why it is essential that you follow the next step:

Step #3: Watch the Trains as They Come and Go

Being able to stand back and watch the trains of thoughts come and go is the linchpin of the Thought Train Technique.

It is very tempting to follow various thoughts and step onto those Thought Trains.  In fact, you will feel a strong pull to do this.

Make a conscious decision to stand back from the trains of thought.

You may only be able to do this for a few seconds.  That doesn’t matter.  You are doing well even if you manage that.

One tip is to mentally say to yourself “That’s a thought”, whenever you notice you have stepped onto a Thought Train,

The more you practice standing back, watching the thought trains come and go, the longer you will be able to remain detached from your thoughts.

This space you create allows you to examine your thoughts.

When you are no longer carried away by your thoughts, YOU are in charge.

You can decide whether a particular thought still serves you.

Does it make you happy?

If not, then don’t follow that Thought Train!  Just step off.

It sounds simple, but it is surprisingly hard at first.

However, by doing this mindfulness exercise regularly, for as little as 10 minutes a day, you will soon become aware of both:

(a) your thought patterns; and

(b) your attachment to certain thoughts.

The weird thing is that often we are attached to thoughts that make us unhappy!  Crazy, isn’t it?

If you come across a thought pattern or thought that you are attached to, you don’t need to try to change it.  Just step off that Thought Train.

Keep doing this, and before you know it your whole perception of things will change.

The 2 most powerful things about the Thought Train Technique: 

By standing back and becoming aware of your thoughts, you will soon realise:

1. You have the power to change the way you react to situations; and
2. You don’t have to buy into drama (yours or others).

Knowing how to practice mindfulness is life changing, but you need to experience it for yourself, so:

Now You Try It!

I hope you can see the potential of The Thought Train Technique for helping you with your mindfulness practice which will improve your peace of mind if you practice a little bit each day.

Yes, it takes a bit of time and effort at the start.   But with this strategy you already know ahead of time that your aim is to increase your awareness of your thoughts (rather than just sitting quietly but still having all your mental chatter going on).

Ready to get started?

Go ahead!

If you have any questions feel free to ask

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