Mindset Shift: Transformative Thought Techniques

A troubled young man, overwhelmed by worry and fear, visits a wise monk. The monk hands him a stone to grip tightly, and the man says it feels heavy and uncomfortable. When he throws it into the river and watches it sink, the monk explains that negative thoughts work the same way: held tightly they weigh you down, and released they stop burdening you.

You imagine your negative beliefs and worries as stones you have been carrying. As you breathe in, you simply acknowledge them. As you breathe out, you visualise letting them go, like throwing the stone into the river, and you feel the weight lift from your mind.

When the young man asks how to let go, the monk answers by changing your focus. Instead of dwelling on the negative, you turn your attention to the positive parts of your life and practise gratitude. The meditation then asks what you are grateful for and what brings you joy and fulfilment.

You breathe in with a sense of clarity entering, and breathe out to release limiting beliefs or negative thoughts. Then you notice air filling your lungs and the rise and fall of your chest. It makes you more present before the story begins.

In the morning, it can set a grateful, positive tone before the day begins. In the late afternoon, it gives you a way to put down the worries and stress gathered over the day. Both are moments when a quick change of focus helps.