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ACT · Mindfulness

Leaves on a Stream

ACT — a guided mindfulness exercise for thoughts

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A core ACT mindfulness practice. The point is not to stop the thoughts — the point is to practice letting them pass without grabbing on. The stream keeps moving whether you watch it or not.

The practice

  1. 01Sit comfortably. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
  2. 02Picture a gentle stream in front of you. Water moving slowly past.
  3. 03Imagine leaves drifting on the surface — any color, any size.
  4. 04When a thought arrives, place it on a leaf and let it float past.
  5. 05If a feeling arrives, place that on a leaf too.
  6. 06If your mind says ‘this isn't working,’ that's also a thought. Place it on a leaf.
  7. 07If you get carried away with a thought, notice — and gently return to the stream.
  8. 08Keep going for five to ten minutes. There's nowhere to get to.

What kept showing up on the leaves

When I got pulled in — what was the hook

"You are the sky. Thoughts are the weather."

References & further reading

Conceptual background and further reading, not validation of this handout. Named instruments and methods belong to their original authors; custom prompts and trackers are not validated versions of those instruments.

  • Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
© 2026 TherapistAssist · For clinical use · Not a substitute for assessment
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