We all know how it feels like when the mind is full. Overflowing with thoughts, running races in our head that make our hearts beat faster and shoulders tense up.
Thoughts will always come and go. We have to be honest and realistic here.
But I learned a wonderful mindfulness approach from my teacher: Don’t serve your thoughts tea.
Leave the front door and back door of your mind open and let the thoughts come and go.
This way monkey mind has nothing to cling to. Monkey mind is a Buddhist term for a restless, uncontrolled mind. It’s the part inside of us that wants to stay in the comfort zone, in what’s familiar, play it safe (at all costs!) and which is terrified of any change, because change signals danger and threatens survival (so it thinks). It’s no surprise then, when monkey mind is used to jumping all over the place, and all of a sudden you sit down to meditate, this kind of dialogue most likely will come up:
“I don’t have time for this. I’ll meditate tomorrow.”
“Oh, tomorrow is not good either. I’m too busy.”
“Why do I need to meditate anyhow? It’s not going to work anyway.”
“What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just sit still and be quiet?”
“This person is so much better at this than me. Why do I even bother?”
Does this sound familiar? I thought so.
To help you tune into your body and tame monkey mind, we need to become grounded and centered first. That’s why I recorded a guided meditation for you. When listening and practicing this 20-minute meditation, please do not judge or analyze what you are feeling. Just follow my voice. And when done, please let me know how you liked it.