How to quiet my mind

Do you believe that you need to quiet your mind?

Or, more accurately, do you believe that there is comfort somewhere outside of the constant flow of thoughts that you notice?

Meditation is not about stopping your thoughts, or trying to clear your mind! Both of these attempts will create stress and more internal chatter. You are using your mind to tell itself to stop! Your mind is in the business of thoughts and it wants to keep itself in business.

Try This (2 minutes)

Take a moment to make yourself physically comfortable, take 3 deep breaths and then move on to the next sentence.

Imagine for a moment that you are able to observe your mind and its thoughts. You can see the mess of thoughts rushing past in front of you and around you...

take 3 deep breaths

Some of the thoughts are clear, some of them so rapid that you cannot focus on them.

take 3 deep breaths

Take a moment to adjust your internal focus, and look for the gaps between the thoughts.

take 3 deep breaths

We have unknowingly trained our minds, our whole lives, to notice the thoughts.. They have been more helpful than not! The rainforest can look like a solid block of green, but when you stand inside it, there is actually more space than leaves.

It is understandable that we find it hard to notice the space, but luckily, our mind can change (at any age). If we practice a pattern of thinking / observing, our mind will get better at it. So if it felt even a tiny bit different this first time, that was the experience of neurons in your brain firing in a slightly different pattern to observe the present moment in a different way.

Each time you practice this way, those neurons will get better and better at firing in that pattern. It will continue to feel more comfortable and clear as your practice progresses.. especially if you have access to a guide or teacher to discuss your reflections and experiences.

Ultimately, you are your own best teacher, as a coach my job is to help you to interpret and understand the messages you are getting from yourself so that you can continue to sustain growth in your self-reflection and satisfaction with the world.

Contact me for a free chat here.