“Your Daily Dose” is a quick two minute read packed with bite-sized wisdom from all the great teachers. But you could also choose to turn it into something more… a powerful daily practice for personal growth. Give it a try!
A message from today’s meditation:
Hello and welcome to a Saturday meditation.
We’re starting with a piece by Osho in which he very eloquently describes the process of gaining freedom from thought.
“I’m simply saying that there is a way to be sane. I’m saying that you can get rid of all this insanity created by the past in you. Just by being a simple witness of your thought processes.
It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering, not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness. The moment you say “this is good, this is bad,” you have already jumped onto the thought process.
It takes a little time to create a gap between the witness and the mind. Once the gap is there, you are in for a great surprise, that you are not the mind, that you are the witness, a watcher.
Because as you become more and more deeply rooted in witnessing, thoughts start disappearing. You are, but the mind is utterly empty.
That’s the moment of enlightenment. That is the moment that you become for the first time an unconditioned, sane, really free human being.”
― Osho
I love this beautiful description by Osho, and while it makes intellectual sense to look at his message and understand how it’s helpful, what does it take to be the witness in that moment when something wakes up inside of me screaming in rage or in pain?
We have senses inside and out. Our 5 outer senses give us feedback about what’s happening in the world around us, and then we have a complex mixture of feelings, thoughts and emotions that tell us about what’s happening in the world within us.
When my outer senses pick up a bad smell from the world around me it’s so easy to go, “Oh! I smell something bad!” But when it’s an inner sense I’m experiencing I turn it into, “Oh no! I AM something bad!”
Of course our inner world feels very personal which is why it’s so easy to believe that the things I think and feel are who I am – but could it be different? Could I learn something from my sense of smell that so easily says, “I smell something bad” and find a healthier approach to thoughts and emotions that help me to not fall into the trap of believing “I AM bad because of what I’m thinking and feeling?”
Could I be the witness to my inner senses as easily as I witness my outer senses?
Take a moment to follow this process, and you’ll experience the inner spaciousness that you are able to create. Take each one of these phrases one at a time, close your eyes as you repeat each line a few times over. I’ll use anger as an example, you may use the same or insert a different emotion if it works better for you:
“I am angry!”
Remind yourself of what it felt like the last time you experienced this emotion, how it felt in your body and how you saw the world and the people around you.
“I feel anger!”
Notice that there is just a little more space created by taking the smallest step backwards. There is the possibility of being witness to an experience instead of being consumed by the experience.
“I can see that a part of me feels angry.”
Who am I being when I can take a step back and look at the angry part of me? How does my life change when I spend more time being this observer? How is the quality of my life different when I can see this angry part and learn to understand it rather than being consumed by it?
Having answers to these questions is not the point, but make it a habit to start asking the questions. Start living the questions and there’ll come a time when you realize that you have begun LIVING the answers to these questions!
Today’s meditation helps with really practical steps towards being the witness.
Some thoughts to guide your process:
- “I am the witness to my thoughts and emotions, not defined by them.”
- “Emotions arise and pass like weather – I am the unchanging sky.”
- “I observe my inner world with curiosity and compassion.”
- “There is spaciousness within me that holds all experiences.”
- “Between stimulus and response, I create a sacred pause.”
- “I am learning to understand rather than be consumed.”
This practice may seem challenging at first. It requires consistent effort and patience. But with time and dedication, you’ll begin to cultivate a deeper sense of inner peace and freedom.
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Come to your senses.
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/uWSpqiyb50M 2023
https://youtu.be/Wgbw9WGiB30 2022
Practice the “Daily Dose”
Let’s put it into practice! Choose what works for you – daily, once a week or whenever inspiration strikes. Putting pen to paper wires the neural pathways that will create your new habits.
1 – Affirmation
Write down your favourite affirmation on a sticky note and place it somewhere that you’ll be able to see it the whole day.
- “I am the witness to my thoughts and emotions, not defined by them.”
- “Emotions arise and pass like weather – I am the unchanging sky.”
- “I observe my inner world with curiosity and compassion.”
- “There is spaciousness within me that holds all experiences.”
- “Between stimulus and response, I create a sacred pause.”
- “I am learning to understand rather than be consumed.”
2 – A moment of reflection
Use today’s question as a journal prompt. If you don’t have the time to sit down and write, just take a moment to reflect on your response.
Exploring Identification vs. Observation: Recall a recent moment when you were completely consumed by an emotion (anger, fear, jealousy, anxiety). Write about that experience using three different perspectives: First, describe it as “I am [emotion].” Then rewrite it as “I feel [emotion].” Finally, describe it as “A part of me feels [emotion].” How does each version change your relationship to the experience? What do you notice about the space created by each shift in language?
3 – Quotes to share
Send a quote to someone who needs it, or share them all on social media to spread the good vibes!
4 – Q&A for deeper learning
Read through the questions and answers and write down at least one “aha moment” that clicked for you.
Q1: What exactly does it mean to “witness” my thoughts?
Witnessing means observing your thoughts and emotions as if you’re watching clouds pass through the sky. You’re not trying to change them, judge them, or push them away—you’re simply noticing them with a sense of detached awareness. It’s the difference between being caught in a storm and watching the storm from a safe window.
Q2: Isn’t it unhealthy to distance myself from my emotions?
Witnessing isn’t about suppressing or avoiding emotions—it’s about changing your relationship with them. You’re not pushing feelings away; you’re creating enough space to experience them without being overwhelmed. This actually allows you to process emotions more fully because you’re not lost in reactivity. You can feel anger deeply while also knowing “I am not this anger.”
Q3: How do I avoid judging my thoughts when witnessing them?
Judgment happens naturally at first, and that’s okay. The key is to witness the judgment too. When you notice yourself thinking “this thought is bad,” simply observe: “Ah, there’s a judgment.” Don’t judge the judgment. With practice, the witnessing becomes more pure. Think of it like training a muscle—it strengthens over time.
Q4: How long does it take to create the “gap” between witness and mind?
This varies for everyone. Some people experience glimpses of this gap within days of consistent practice, while for others it takes weeks or months. The important thing isn’t how quickly the gap appears, but that you practice consistently. Even a few minutes daily of witnessing meditation builds this capacity over time.
Q5: What if I try to witness my thoughts and they just get louder?
This is completely normal and often happens when you first start. Your mind isn’t used to being observed, so it might initially intensify as a form of resistance. Think of it like when you first notice a ticking clock—suddenly it seems louder. Keep witnessing without fighting the volume. The noise naturally settles as you become more comfortable in the observer role.
Q6: Can I practice witnessing during my daily life, or only in meditation?
You can practice witnessing anytime, anywhere. In fact, bringing this awareness into daily life is where the real transformation happens. When you’re stuck in traffic, washing dishes, or having a difficult conversation, pause and notice: “I’m observing frustration arising.” These micro-moments of witnessing throughout your day are just as valuable as formal meditation practice.
Q7: What’s the difference between witnessing and overthinking or ruminating?
This is a crucial distinction. Witnessing is spacious, neutral, and present-focused—you’re simply noticing what is. Overthinking is contracted, judgmental, and often focused on past or future—you’re caught in loops of analysis and worry. If you’re witnessing, there’s a sense of peace or at least neutrality. If you’re overthinking, there’s tension and struggle. Overthinking is when the thoughts consume you, but when you catch yourself overthinking, that awareness itself is the witness emerging.