One of the ways we learn to practice meditating with kindness toward ourselves is to allow our thoughts to show up. How is this kind? One reason is that our thoughts can just arise without us having to make a big deal about it: we are safely sitting in meditation and we don’t have to react to the thoughts moving through. What can they do to us? Isn’t it an interesting idea to kindly and gently observe our thoughts without reacting violently to them, shoving them away?

When little children have nightmares, doctors have told them to imagine the scene, remind themselves it’s just a dream, and turn around and face the monster and ask, “what do you want?” This therapy has been highly successful in the treatment of nightmares.

“Value your ability to stay with and tolerate your thoughts and emotions rather than detach from them.” –Jason Siff

Here’s some more of what we discussed: How and why we need meaning in our lives:

Yes to Life, in Spite of Everything: Viktor Frankl’s Lost Lectures on Moving Beyond Optimism and Pessimism to Find the Deepest Source of Meaning