Illustration provided by Nicole Toren of Handgallop Studio, AB
Today we offer a visual illustration to describe the process of observing things happening as they happen. This is a common metaphor from different psychotherapies, called the Riverbank Metaphor. The next time you’d like to notice, or are already noticing, intense thoughts or emotions coursing through you, try this practice to reinforce the process of observing your thoughts without getting caught up or overwhelmed in them. We also include a related excerpt from our book project, Sharing The Now: Mindfulness Exercises to Enhance the Connection With Your Horse.
Letting go has several meanings, but fundamentally it refers to the general approach of noticing things, holding them in your present attention, and then releasing your attention so you can then focus on something else happening in the present moment. In this way, you continue to pay close attention to what happens in each moment.
Letting go can also refer to the idea of staying detached when you pay attention to the present. It’s about noticing things happening as if you are an observer. It is possible to watch events as they arise in each moment and fade away, while remaining detached from individual thoughts or emotions—though this can also be challenging, which may come as no surprise. It is quite natural to have strong emotions or thoughts that are hard to stop focusing on. In the face of this, the attitude of letting go encourages you to make the decision to put these aside and focus on other things in the present moment.
Here is a helpful visual metaphor to understand the process of Letting Go.
Riverbank Metaphor
First, imagine you are standing on the edge of a river and watching the water flow by. As you stand on the riverbank observing the water, imagine that the river contains thoughts and emotions arising in the moment. Standing there, you are observing the thoughts and emotions as they flow by along with the water.
An alternative but related image is to visualize your thoughts and emotions as clouds in the sky; you can watch them pass by just as you might watch the clouds on a sunny day float by.