Calming the Monkey Mind
Our everyday thoughts that we think become the endless chatter, that for many, seems to never quiet down. It’s the daily thought to thought process we have, the issues we analyze, the different worries that we dwell on, and those random ideas, which eventually begins spinning out of control in our minds. It’s that continuous chatter in our heads that’s known as the Monkey Mind. It’s the reason many people have difficulty sleeping.
Most people believe they can’t stop their thoughts or clear their mind in order to meditate, therefore they believe they can’t meditate at all. Well that’s a misunderstood concept of what is done for meditation.
It’s sometimes hard to explain what something is or how it’s done because it’s more about an experience than the thing itself, so people simplify it by saying things like “you just let it go”, “you just clear your mind” or “you just quiet your brain”. But that’s not really what happens in meditation, although it is how things are misunderstood.
Meditation is a fantastic way to slow down and feel the peacefulness of a quiet moment in time. However, it does take practice to achieve a mastery skill level of this wonderful self-healing process but anyone can do it. Yes, even you.
Meditation takes an understanding and a breakdown of the process itself. By accomplishing these tasks, meditation sessions will become easier to do and more enjoyable as the practice increases step by step.
One of the main understandings and breakdowns are the slight differences between thinking a thought and being aware of the thought. Knowing this is an important step to understanding the process of what most people call quieting the mind.
An example of the two will be helpful to figure out and understand the subtle differences.
Being aware of thoughts would go like this; (I call them running thoughts)
– the oil in the vehicle needs changed – my child has practice tonight – did I turn off the coffee pot –
A structure of thoughts like this is an awareness of thoughts. Thoughts that simply run by.
Now let’s use those same thoughts as thinking thoughts; (I call them dwelling thoughts)
– the oil in the vehicle needs changed, oh I’ll have to get money from the bank to pay for it because I don’t have my checkbook and don’t have enough cash on me… – my child has practice tonight, I’ll need to wash their uniform and pack a snack… – did I turn off the coffee pot? Oh yeah, I remember putting my cup next to the pot when I flipped the switch so I know I shut it off… –
Those are thinking of thoughts. Thoughts that are dwelled upon. But do you see the slight changes or differences in each?
Awareness of a thought is basically acknowledging that a particular thought came to surface and then it floats off as the next thought appears. Whereas the thinking of a thought stops at that particular thought and begins to dwell on it by turning it into a thinking process.
There is definitely more to meditation than sitting on a pillow and clearing your mind. This is only one aspect of meditation but it is a good start on trying to meditate. Practice this and see how well you do. It does take time to achieve it fully so don’t get discouraged. Just keep practicing and before you know it, you’ll be ready for the next stage in meditating.
There are also guided meditation classes you can find to take. These sessions are very helpful for many people as there are so many different types of meditation available to do.
Remember the benefits are substantial and meditation is recommended by doctors and specialists all over, to decrease stress, anxiety, sleeping issues and much more.
So, let’s start the new year out right and get meditating!
~Best of Health & Positive Energy, ~ Healing Feather Wellness ~ “Balancing Body, Mind & Spirit” ~ ©2019
