Many people are desperate for something to quiet their mind so they try therapy, medication (prescribed or not), Yoga, etc. They may even try excessive amounts of work, exercise or some other activity in the hopes that if they distract themselves long enough their mind will stop racing around and settle down. To varying degrees some of these things may work but others make things worse.

If the counselor is a good fit and you are motivated to work on your issues, therapy works. Medication can do wonders if it’s prescribed and if the drug is right, but it still means trial & error and side effects. Work and exercise can distract you from your problems and fill up the time that your thoughts would use to race around in your head, but what happens when you stop?

The black dog is a lot like a bear, lion or other predator you see on nature programs. The worst thing you can do is to run away from it. Running triggers the predator to chase after you. If you try to run away from it by drinking or using other drugs, it’s still going to be there when you sober up or the high wears off. Same thing when you obsess over work, exercise or other activities. If it’s not done the right way and with the right attitude whatever it is you’re trying to do becomes an avoidance strategy. Avoiding things only works for a short time, eventually you have to face the very thing you don’t want to.

Don’t just do something, sit there.

If you have a pond and the water and silt are stirred up, the pond becomes cloudy and you can’t see anything. You can’t force the water to calm down and you can’t force the silt back to the bottom of the pond. The only thing that works is to stop agitating the water and silt and let the pond go back to stillness. Then the water settles down, the silt sinks and the pond is clear again. Our minds are like the pond.

Meditation is a very, very old practice and is found in many cultures and religious traditions. There are many different types of meditation done for different reasons. Years ago I took several courses in biofeedback and they taught a type of meditation that helped lower blood pressure and control migraines. Hardly what the great sages used it for but it does show the power and adaptability of the art.

What is meditation? For the purpose of this post, it’s just allowing your mind (and body) to settle down and paying attention to what is going on right here, right now. In other words “Just this” - the moment at hand. It’s more focusing and less zoning out.

When I was a child I hated to go to bed as I always had to go earlier than my brothers and sister. I was afraid I’d be missing out on something. I had no idea what it was, but it had to be something better than sleep. Sometimes we grow up and still feel that way. We’re always looking past this moment. We’re bored, anxious and feel unsatisfied. It’s a lot like having to go to bed while all the grownups get to do something cool and exciting. The truth is even when we are doing something interesting if we’re thinking ahead (or wondering about the past) that’s when we’re really missing out. By learning to be in the present - to be mindful, you’ll be able to appreciate all moments big and small.

Do an experiment the next time you eat or drink something. Do you notice the steam coming off your cup of coffee? The smell. The taste as it slides around your mouth? Do you really feel the texture of the cup and the warmth of the coffee coming through it? By slowing down and paying attention we can appreciate all the little things that make up life.

A place to start -

• Find a quiet place where you can remain undisturbed.
• Sit comfortably with your spine straight, hands in your lap.
• Breath deeply and watch your breath go in and out.
• Count your breaths up to 10 and then start over.
• Repeat for 10 to 20 minutes a day and work your way up to 30 minutes or more.

Your thoughts will, of course, carry you away . . . a lot. That’s okay. Just acknowledge that your mind has drifted and bring your focus back to your breath. If your mind wonders a thousand times, bring it back a thousand times. Like all things worth doing it takes time and effort but slowly, over time you’ll find your mind calming down.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at 7:03 pm and is filed under mindfulness.