Now imagine that you are sitting beside a stream. Observe the water flow by. See how thoughts flow through your mind just like sticks and leaves float down the river as you watch from the riverbank. The stream may be very clear or it may very polluted. Similar, the stream of mind stuff may be very clear, or it may be very polluted. But you are not the stream or the sticks or leaves flowing in the stream. You are the detached observer sitting peacefully on the riverbank. Just observe any sensations, thoughts, desires, fears, plans, emotions etc. as they bubble up to the surface of your mind and then disappear. Remember, don’t hold onto or judge any particular thought or emotion. If you find yourself holding onto a particular thought or emotion, then consciously let it go. Just remain a detached observer of the mind and its everchanging contents.