Mind

Do you ever feel as though you are stuck in an endless loop, replaying your past a la Groundhog Day, in your mind? It is all too easy to become stuck on a mental Möbius strip, an endless loop with only side. In this pattern, you are revisiting the past, perhaps assigning blame or experiencing guilt, but achieving no outcomes, no benefits. We play the “what if” game as if we are living within a choose your own adventure novel where we can simply go back and choose another path to follow.

How do we get off the never-ending ride of the Möbius mind? The first step is to recognize that you are stuck on an endless feedback loop, acknowledge your mental playback. Next, look at your patterns; where are you focusing? What triggers your thoughts? What events are central to this repeat performance? The reason this replays in your mind is that you have not yet gone deep enough into your feelings surrounding the event. You have not learned the lessons central to the story, so your mind is replaying it again and again hoping that the repetition will allow you to learn. Yes, the mind is a relentless teacher.

Go where it is uncomfortable. Acknowledge your responsibility. Your pain. Your shame. Your anger. Your fear. Learn from it. And then let it go. When you face the emotions triggered by the past head-on and then release them, you will find that your Möbius strip unravels and allows you to move on and continue your adventure.

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:)