Cognitive therapy emphasizes trying to change the way you think. Meditation starts with simply observing the mind and body without necessarily trying to change what is seen or the seer. Most people come to meditation with the hope of changing their sense of self, but the inherent framework of a meditation practice is actually not geared towards self-improvement. Rather, meditation is more radically geared towards accepting life as it is. This capacity for accepting life starts with learning to sit quietly and observe what passes through the mind and body in a nonjudgmental fashion. Many teachers have described observing our mind as watching our thoughts go by like clouds passing in the broad sky. This metaphor helps us give permission to experience thoughts and motions moving in and out of us, like clouds moving in the sky with no place for them to attach. When we give ourselves the permission to watch the natural phenomena of the mind and body, we come to directly experience the mind and body, thoughts and sensations, as constantly changing.

If you are depressed, you might not want to observe the content of your thinking. Some common thoughts about mindfulness include, “If I pay attention to my thoughts, I will just feel worse” or, “I can’t just observe and notice my thinking; I want to change how I feel!” If you notice thoughts like these or any other making it hard to practice mindfulness, you can first give yourself credit for noticing the thoughts! What mindful observation can do is increase your understanding that your thoughts only have the power that you give them, and that we give thoughts power when we believe them unquestioningly. For example, if Bob says, “I’m an idiot,” and believes it, he feels worse. If he says, “I’m an idiot” and just notices this without judging whether it’s true, it becomes more of an object of interest and can lead to self-discovery. What led to that thought? How did he react to that thought? How did the thought affect his mood and physical sensations? This sequence of observation and awareness leads to greater choices in how to respond. It also, indirectly, makes the thought less disturbing, as we stop treating thoughts as unquestioned truths but rather as just things to observe.

Excerpt from Peaceful Mind: Using mindfulness and cognitive behavioral psychology to overcome depression, by John R. McQuaid, PhD, and Paula E. Carmona, RN, MSN.