The Meditation That Makes Your Worries Feel Smaller

Emily Johnson · 2026-11-03

Ever feel like your thoughts are running the show? Like your worries are so big they crowd out everything else? There's a meditation for that—and it's not about making those thoughts disappear. It's about giving them a little less power. Shamash Alidina, a well-known meditation teacher, offers a practice that helps you step back and see your thoughts from a different angle. The goal? To create space. To realize that your worries can still be there, but they don't have to consume you. ### The Joy of Feeling Small It sounds counterintuitive, right? We're often told to dream big, be bold, stand out. But feeling small isn't about diminishing yourself. It's about recognizing your place in the grand scheme of things—and finding freedom in that. When you feel small, your problems shrink too. You're not the center of the universe, and that's actually a relief. This meditation helps you tap into that perspective. ### How It Works The practice is simple but powerful. Here's the gist: - **Get comfortable.** Sit or lie down in a quiet place. Close your eyes if that feels right. - **Breathe naturally.** Don't force anything. Just notice your breath moving in and out. - **Imagine expansion.** Picture your awareness growing beyond your body, filling the room, the building, the sky. - **Observe your thoughts.** As they arise, see them as clouds passing through that vast sky. They're there, but they're not you. - **Rest in the space.** Notice the gaps between thoughts. That's where the peace lives. > "You are not your thoughts. You are the awareness behind them." — Shamash Alidina ### Why It Matters We spend so much time caught up in the storylines of our minds. This meditation offers a way out—not by escaping, but by expanding. When you feel small in the best way, you become more resilient, more compassionate, and more at ease. Give it a try. Even five minutes can shift your perspective. And who knows? You might just find joy in feeling small.