Sharon Salzberg

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

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.