I'm including this in the Techniques forum, rather than the Spiritual forum, because I'd like to discuss techniques and approaches for observing thoughts. And this also dovetails into observing emotions as well as the body.
I ran into an excellent article,
Watching Thoughts and Emotions
The non-resistance practice of aikido, can be extended in techniques to include mental, emotional, and physical processes. And by taking on the role as non-judgemental observer - the watcher - we become more free to explore the processes. This is less about wanting to make any specific improvement or result, and more about allowing the process itself to be fun and joyful.
Aikido may appear to be an "art" on the external, but to arrive at an art, we do so through practice. And I'd like to use this topic to explore how we practice; and techniques we can employ to make the practice deeper and much more dynamic, and even redefine what constitutes the practice.