Taming the Monkey Mind: Days 6 & 7

Posted on by stilllearning2b

It is easier for me to meditate after I’ve exercised.  Shocking, I know.  Exhaust the body and the mind calms too.  I have always done better with more active forms of meditation: yoga, walking meditations, etc., but a) they’re not always practical and b) I want to learn to be still, body and mind.

I am enjoying trying different guided meditations and getting a feeling for what works well for me.  I am mainly downloading free podcasts (gotta love those podcasts!).

I tried a different guided mediation that allowed my mind to journey while the body remained still.  The meditation consisted of imagery that guided the listener through a meadow, down some steps, through a woodland, and to a pool.  Just this suggestion of movement made me more comfortable, more relaxed.  I think I might use this mediation and others like it when I am antsy and feeling the need for movement.

I was only able to do a short meditation this morning before work.  I found myself scatterbrained and irritated with the kids today.  I wonder if there is a connection?  I fully intended to take a few moments at work to breath and relax, but it never happened.  I’m not sure why I seem to separate that part of myself from my job, but I do.  I would like to make meditation a part of me, a part that doesn’t disappear when I put on high heels.

This evening, I did a meditation that used a special breathing technique: short, somewhat sharp inhale followed by a quick, thorough exhale.  I really liked this method for quickly removing tension and stress from the body after work (again, tough day today).

This is about the point where I have started to slack off in the past.  Hold me to my promise, guys.  If I haven’t posted about the meditation challenge in a few days, it means the monkeys are running the asylum:)

I love how wise and calm this guy looked hangi...
I love how wise and calm this guy looked hanging out on the Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh. I wonder if he teaches yoga and meditation too? Probably really flexible! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Related articles

Taming the Monkey Mind: Day 5

Posted on by stilllearning2b

I am a planner.  I have always known this about myself, but regular meditation has really highlighted for me.  Almost 100% of my thoughts during my practice go to planning, or even worse, planning to plan. I know that I do this to alleviate anxiety and to try to exert some control over my experiences, but it is also a sly thief of the present moment.

As a teacher, a large part of my job is lesson planning; this serves as sort of a lab, a microcosm, where I can limit some variables and examine others.  I have been more mindful lately about my lesson planning methodology and the outcomes.  I have come to an interesting realization; my most effective plans are also the most spontaneous, the ones that have undergone the least amount of rumination.  The chances of something going awry, not according to plan, seem to be equal regardless of the mental energies expended prior.  Good to know.

Planning for the future is my biggest obstacle to mindfulness.  When I was in the art museum yesterday, I planned several potential solutions if I had trouble getting out of the parking garage, as there was no attendant on duty (Did I have enough cash?  Was it in the right form?  What businesses were open within walking distance where I could get change?).  Each time my mind wandered, I was able to become aware and pull it back to the present, but it was certainly a tenacious companion through the first part of the museum.  Once I was able to come up with a few possible solutions, I was able to let it go and relax.

Planning is a double-edged sword for me: I need a certain amount to let go of the future and enjoy the present, yet too much steals the present away from me.  I suppose the trick is awareness of the planning and learning when its presence has overstayed its welcome beyond its effectiveness.

Related articles

Taming the Monkey Mind: Days 3 & 4

Posted on by stilllearning2b

I have always found that I meditate better in the morning. I am one of those strange freaks of nature who wakes up at 5:00 a.m. (or earlier) and is wide awake and, even worse, perfectly perky even before the first sip of coffee touches my lips. Sick, I know. Of course, the other side of this coin is that I get tired early. And I mean early. I can actually go to bed before 9:00.

The result of all this is that I prefer to mediate in the morning. My mind is fresh. I find it easier to focus. And, it is also when I need to relax as I tend to plan my day as soon as I hear the first tones of my alarm. Afternoon or evening meditation for me is a struggle as I am more sluggish and unfocused.  I have rarely deviated from meditation in the morning.  Today was one of those deviations.

Today, I practiced a series of mini-meditations as I explored the city around me. Moments of mindfulness were found in the gardens, in the art museum (where they even had portable meditation benches), and in Vulcan park overlooking the city. I found it easy to slip into the right state of mind quickly, although I did not sustain it for long.

I returned to my hotel room after a day’s adventures. I was tired, fatigued, questioning if I could summon the energy to enjoy an evening out. I decided to meditate for 20 minutes, thinking that would be the end of my evening. Unexpectedly, it left me feeling refreshed and energized and ready for more. Maybe meditation is not just for morning after all.

Related articles

Taming the Monkey Mind: Days 1 & 2

Posted on by stilllearning2b

These first two meditations were simple. In theory. Each one was 20 minutes of focusing on the breath. In practice, not so simple.

I came to a realization. I know that trying to tame my monkey mind through force will backfire, for that primate is stronger than me. I knew that the way to teach it was through patience and practice, but today it finally clicked what that really means.

I have been approaching my mind like I was training a 7 month old puppy to sit. With a dog of that age, there are expectations which lead to frustration when to the dog does not obey. “Don’t you get this already?” you want to scream at the dog.

I realized instead that I need to approach my mind as though I was training a 7 week old puppy to sit. At that age, it would be foolish to have expectations of the dog being able to hold a position for long. Rather, you gently push the puppy’s back end down repeatedly. Patiently. There is no frustration when it gets up and happily waddles over to you. After all, it is a puppy, what can you expect. With good humor, you simply place it back in position. Of course, over time, this young puppy will be able to stay in position for longer and longer periods until it is habit.

English: A puppy with a Kong Wubba, a Kong pro...
Image via Wikipedia

I am going to hold that image in my mind, placing my focus back on my breath as though I was placing a young puppy back in place.  Hopefully, one day my mind can learn to sit still too.

Taming the Monkey Mind: a 28 Day Meditation Challenge

Posted on by stilllearning2b
English: Yawning Vervet Monkey. Samburu Nation...
Image via Wikipedia

So, I’m sure this will come as a huge shock to those of you that have been keeping up with me, but my mind has a tendency to jump around a bit.  It leaps from thought to thought like a monkey swinging through the trees, grasping one just long enough to get to the next, chattering all the while.

At various points throughout my life, I have made attempts to tame this monkey-mind of mine, only to surrender to its wild state.  Well, as that monkey gets older, I’m a little afraid that it may become more resistant to training, as it becomes accustomed to having its way.  So, I am going to try once again to tame it.

This time, I am going in prepared.  I am setting a goal.  Creating structure.  Bringing along support.

So, what does one need to tame a monkey-mind, you ask?  Here is what is in my arsenal for this go-round:

1 copy of Real Happiness: the Power of Meditation by Sharon Salzberg  with CD

6 boxes of incense

1 comfy fuzzy blanket for when my office is cold

English: 3 candles
Image via Wikipedia

1 lamp for soft lighting

1 large pillow for proper seating

assorted candles

various smell-good balms and lotions

Of course, none of this is really necessary to tame a monkey-mind, but I like to be prepared.

In the past, I would start to develop a habit of meditation and then I would slide.  I do not know why I am resistant to something that feels good in the moment and makes me feel better in general, but I always seem to find something else to do.  Ah ha, therein lies the problem.  I want to DO, instead of just BE.

In order to hold myself accountable through this 28 day challenge, I am going to write about my experience.  It may not make for the most interesting reading, but I need to make it public so that I won’t let it slide.

So here goes nothing, I’m about to face that monkey-mind of mine.

Day 166/365-Meditation
Day 166/365-Meditation (Photo credit: thekellyscope)
Related articles