Sunday, March 9, 2014

Marching toward.....our natural state

Yogis,

“March….A Mindful Month”, now in Day #9, has 80 of us meditating daily for at least 10 minutes.  Each of us finding a window of 10 minutes in our day to sit quietly and observe our breath.  
 
Easy……..right?
 
monkey-mind
Well it should be.  We are merely sitting quietly with ourselves.  Finding just 10 minutes of the 720 that each day offers.  But somehow that can turn out to be the hardest thing in the world to do!!!

It’s actually kind of funny when you step back and think about it.  We have a hard time being alone with ourselves.  We are able to be with that difficult boss, the overly sweet woman at the drugstore, the annoying neighbor and the gloomy relative.  But when it comes to spending time with little old me and see what’s going on in there, I choose going to the dentist instead.  I think perhaps the floor needs scrubbing.  Are you sure you don’t want me to  go to DMV for you?  Anything not to be alone with my thoughts.

Why is that? 

Mostly it is because we are out of practice.  As small children we spent hours playing alone.  Daydreaming and spending time with our imaginary friends.  Allowing what was happening on the inside be just what is was.  In touch with our inner world.

But as adults, with kids, jobs, time pressures and schedules….not mentioning the streaming info that the tv and internet constantly pump into us,  our minds become busy.  The old “Mind Full”.   Jumping from thought to thought to thought with no space in between.  This is referred to as Monkey Mind. 

My morning alarm is set to WTOP.   For about 2 minutes each morning I hear the “news”, which is the only radio I hear all day.  But in those 2 minutes they probably cover 5 or 6 stories.  Snippets.  High level, no depth, usually leaving me with something that I ought to be worried about.  How can I hope to have space between my thoughts, when the world around me does not.   

During the day as we move from task to task to task, using any gap between events to check email and Facebook, the Monkey Mind is not noticed.  In fact it loves us to be ridiculously busy.  That’s where it thrives.   As soon as there is the slightest pause in our activity, it reminds us of what to think about and do next!  Like the commander in charge.   And we begin to believe that is just “how we are”. 

But boy……when we choose to sit still and be quiet, Monkey Mind is not a happy camper.  It ramps up and begins to shout commands, distracting you from the breath, and trying ever so hard to take you off of your seat before the 10 minutes is up.  And that is normal!   

However, our natural state….a place of calm….is always in there behind the curtain.  Trust me on this.  Our job is just to sit and watch the Monkey Mind, not fight it but also not throw fuel on it.  No arguing with it.  No debate or judgment.   Watch.  Watch some more.  Be curious.  Having the courage to see what is going on inside so that over time the mind will begin to settle.   It is a practice. 

A March back toward our natural state.  And it has to begin somewhere…………….

I am below looking up and watching (and giggling at the absurdity of it J),
SARAH

No comments:

Post a Comment