Have you ever experienced mind wandering?
Too many thoughts?
Have you ever felt like a mouse running in circles inside of your own head? Or like a monkey jumping from branch to branch without rest? Or like a sportscaster, commenting on everything that’s going on during the game, instead of being an active participant of it?
If you’ve answered yes to any of the situations mentioned above, you’re not alone.
That is the nature of the mind.
To go from thought to thought, memory to memory, image to image, dream to dream, and so on.
The nature of the mind is to wander.
Unfortunately, in the middle of a society that has such a strong technological component, in the midst of a pandemic, where most of our interactions are online, by being constantly bombarded by several stimuli throughout the day, either coming from your phone, TV, computer and other sources, now it becomes more evident how our mind wanders and how difficult it can get to focus.
Then, how can we relate to the constant inner chatter, how can be at peace, without getting lost or overwhelmed by the constant flow of thoughts?
We can start learning to observe them. To become an active observer that explores, without criticism or judgement.
Imagine you’re watching a movie. The images are being projected on the screen, and you can, if you set your mind to it, just observe without thinking that you are part of the plot. You can just look at the images that come and go.
So, we can practice by sitting down in a quiet place, closing our eyes and picturing or visualizing two different scenarios:
- Picture a clear sky. This would be your mind and the thoughts, would appear, come and go, as clouds. You’re just there, on a normal day, observing the sky as clouds pass by. This is not a time for analyzing, judging or identifying yourself with the thoughts. It’s just a moment for open observation and curiosity.
- You can also picture a clear stream. Now the thoughts will appear, stay and go down the stream as leaves. You can observe them floating away. Without trying to hold onto them or rejecting them: just observing, just noticing. If a thought seems to stick and remain too long, just breathe and let it go, at its own rhythm.
You can practice this way for a few minutes or for a longer period of time, in order to ground yourself, and come back to the present moment.
Thoughts aren´t permanent. They come and go, in constant movement, in constant flow, just as life itself.
Let me know how this practice goes for you.
Full video on youtube:
