M antra W ellness
How Ca l m Yo u r M i n d C ult i vat e M o r e P r e s e n ce Daniel l e M cKe e I NSTAGRAM:
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@liveadayinthelight | liveadayinthelight.com
et me introduce you to the human mind, a tricky, deceptive little devil, chattering away with no mercy. When was the last time you stopped and listened to the stampede of rambling thoughts stomping through the halls of your brain? It never ends. This sounds terribly depressing and hopeless, but let me put that busy
mind at ease. There is hope. There is a way to keep the incessant, unpleasant thoughts at bay, or at least weed your way through with some sense of navigation. We have two ways of perceiving things—perception via the thinking mind (often referred to as the “monkey mind”) and perception via the observing mind. Which serves you better? I’ll let you be the judge. Here is a layout, or map if you will, of what the thinking mind looks like versus the observing mind. This list will help you to determine when your thinking mind is at work and will assist you in shifting gears to the observing mind.
C h a ract erist ics Observin g Mind : 1. 2. 3. 4.
Nonjudgmental Objective Accepting Present
The observing mind is much easier to describe. The observing mind is nonjudgmental and nonlabeling. It recognizes without judgement and accepts what is. The observing mind lives in the present moment; it doesn’t focus on what was or what will be; it lives in the here and now, watching with acceptance. It is present, nonreactive, calm and objective. This particular mind generates thoughts like “I accept,” “all is well,” “I am calm” and “I am open.”
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The key in all of this is to observe your thoughts in a nonjudgmental manner and recognize unhelpful, ‘thinking mind’-driven thoughts. 14
MANTRAMAG.COM
The key in all of this is to observe your thoughts in a nonjudgmental manner and recognize unhelpful, “thinking mind”-driven thoughts. Just recognizing and classifying the thinking mind thoughts is half the battle. Once you can recognize and classify, it takes the power away from a negative thought entirely. Remember, it’s okay, it happens to all of us. It is all about watching, recognizing, classifying and OBSERVING. This is a great starting point for incorporating meditation into your life. ***Meditation tip using the observing mind: Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and when the thoughts start swirling, picture them as clouds in the sky passing you by, or floating by you in a river. Picture the thoughts outside of your body and watch them pass by, observing them in a nonjudgmental manner. Use the mantra “all is well in my life.”
