Imagine standing in a lake, trying to see beneath the surface. Each step stirs up sediment, making the water cloudier; the harder we try to see, the less clear it is. Only when we become still does the sediment begin to settle. 

Our minds work much the same way. News, social media, responsibilities, worries, judgments, and the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves can keep the mind in constant motion. 

Thich Nhat Hanh called this ceaseless inner broadcast “Radio NST”—Non-Stop Thinking. When we are caught in it, we may both mistake thoughts for facts and miss the beauty of life unfolding right in front of us.

The Buddhist bodhisattva Manjushri embodies the wisdom that sees clearly. He is traditionally depicted holding a sword—not a weapon of violence, but the sword of understanding that cuts through ignorance and delusion. The practice associated with Manjushri begins with stillness, which helps us stop before reacting, look with openness rather than prejudice, and allow understanding to arise. 

We often try to solve our difficulties while the water is still churning, but stopping creates the space in which we can see what is actually happening.

Stopping does not require us to prevent thoughts or create a blank mind. It begins by recognizing what has arisen without immediately following it. Following a practice taught by Joseph Goldstein, we [BEGIN READING HERE FROM MINDFULNESS MATTERS] can use less personal language: rather than “I am angry,” we might notice, “Anger has arisen.” Or “Thinking has arisen.” This small shift helps us experience thoughts and emotions as changing phenomena rather than as our identity, absolute truth, or commands we must obey. It opens a space between a thought and our decision to believe it or act upon it.

From that space, letting go becomes possible—but letting go does not always look the same.

• When our mind is relaxed and clear, we may be able to simply not grasp or pick up a thought. We can cultivate this clear mind with practices such as consuming less media and other information throughout the day, as well as doing brief “intervals” of open awareness, such as walking from one tree to another without drifting into thought (and returning to the breath or awareness of our environment when we do sometimes drift).
• A light, passing thought may simply be released as we return to the breath, the body, or the activity before us. This works well for the non-emotional thoughts that arise, but we must actually practice recognizing when thoughts are arising so that we can then release before we go down the rabbit hole.
• A thought carrying fear, grief, anger, or shame may need to be set down gently while we calm the body and make room for the emotion. When we stop fueling an emotion with additional thoughts and attend instead to its sensations in the body—perhaps a rapid heartbeat or constriction—it may move through us with less resistance.
• A long-established thought may need to be “unpacked” through careful inquiry. There are many effective ways to do the unpacking, including Byron Katie’s practice called “The Work,” available on her website, where she offers four questions and a “turnaround” to help us examine difficult thoughts. It can also be wise to seek support from a qualified professional when working with trauma or other deeply rooted patterns.