Mental Health Awareness week is 13th – 19th May. This year the focus is on movement. This is something that is very close to my heart and is definitely part of my self care routine. My go to movement is walking in nature. Something I do most days. I love walking and being out in the fresh air, connecting with the earth, trees, flowers, plants, birds and insects etc. It gives me time to process things in my mind. The rhythm definitely helps and I walk quite fast but always mindfully. I pay attention to what is around me. Try to notice different things if I am walking the same route.
Other things I love are running, gardening, yoga and Qi Gong. I do some type of stretching and energy work most days as well. These can be easily integrated into your day e.g. stretching every time you get a cuppa.
See if you can increase your movement and notice how it helps you. You don’t have to go to the gym or do something you don’t like. Work out what movement feels good to your body and do that. This could be dancing in your kitchen, mowing your lawn or skateboarding. Just get moving :).
When we meditate it is very natural for our minds to be busy. It’s what minds do! The aim isn’t to empty the mind of thoughts (it’s impossible). The aim is to not be controlled by our thoughts. To recognise the pattern of our thoughts and be able to make choices. So if the focus of our meditation is our breath, then when we notice our mind is thinking, planning, worrying etc, we gently bring our focus back to our breath. We may need to do this hundreds of times.
I like to use the metaphor of our mind being the sky and our thoughts the clouds. The sky is always blue, sometimes there are little fluffy white clouds and sometimes the sky is dark with storm clouds.
The key is to observe the clouds (thoughts) and know that you are the sky. With practice it gets easier to observe your thoughts, notice the patterns of thoughts and return back to your focus (e.g. the breath). Some days our mind will be very busy, filled with lots of thoughts, worries etc. We may think our meditation has been no good if we are constantly bringing our awareness back from our thoughts. There is no good or bad meditation though. Some days our minds will be quieter and some days it will be busier. So let go of the idea of good or bad and know that if you are practicing you are doing your best in that moment.
Let Go of Expectation
Another key is to let go of expectation. Do not expect to achieve a particular state (e.g. feeling relaxed or calm). Practice with openness and curiosity. Let whatever comes up, come up. Practice with kindness, compassion and non-judgement. If we expect a certain state or feeling we may feel disappointed if it doesn’t happen. If we’re open and curious, then we can just be present with whatever arises.
If you would like some help, you can join my class or book a one to one.
Each week in my Mindfulness Class I share some mindful poetry and quotes. I have been asked to share them so thought I would share them here for you to enjoy too. These are some of my personal favourites.
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
By Rumi (translation by Coleman Barks)
Breathe
Stress hooks its claws into the brain creating false truths and unreal realities to confuse, to assault, to breaking point There’s no refuge in the past or future The only answer? Breathe.
When thoughts spiral out of control like a jet plane on a fatal collision course there’s no respite and no saving grace. When even sleep becomes a banned destination, look to the place of salvation. Breathe.
Anxiety can build and surge in a flood overwhelming rational ideas and calm. Depression throws its hooks into the mind and drags thoughts into the mud. The perfect antidote? Breathe.
Focus. Not on the unchangeable past or on the unknown mist of the future but on the now. The moment. Your breath. Let it bring the calm that’s desperately needed. The final answer? Breathe.
By Alistair HMP Dumfreis
Thanking a Monkey
There’s a monkey in my mind swinging on a trapeze, reaching back to the past or leaning into the future, never standing still.
Sometimes I want to kill that monkey, shoot it square between the eyes so I won’t have to think anymore or feel the pain of worry.
But today I thanked her and she jumped down straight into my lap, trapeze still swinging as we sat still.
By Kaveri Patel
Clearing
Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then will you know how to give yourself to this world so worth of rescue.
By Martha Postlewaite
Enough
Enough. These few words are enough. If not these words, this breath. If not this breath, this sitting here. This opening to the life We have refused again and again Until now. Until now.
By David Whyte
Go Among Trees and Sit Still
I go among trees and sit still. All my stirring becomes quiet Around me like circles on water. My tasks lie in their places Where I left them, asleep like cattle…
Then what I am afraid of comes. I live for a while in its sight. What I fear in it leaves it, And the fear of it leaves me. It sings, and I hear its song.
By Wendell Berry
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you, If you leave it you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you.
By David Wagoner
Love After Love
The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other’s welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life.
By Derek Walcott
Dear You
Dear you, You who always have so many things to do so many places to be your mind spinning like fan blades at high speed each moment always a blur because you’re never still.
I know you’re tired. I also know it’s not your fault. The constant brain-buzz is like a swarm of bees threatening to sting if you close your eyes. You’ve forgotten something again. You need to prepare for that or else. You should have done that differently.
What if you closed your eyes? Would the world fall apart without you? Or would your mind become the open sky flock of thoughts flying across the sunrise as you just watched and smiled.
By Kaveri Patel
The Peace of Wild Things (excerpt)
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For the time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
By Wendell Berry
The Wonder Is
The washing never gets done. The furnace never gets heated. Books never get read. Life is never completed. Life is like a ball which one must continually catch and hit so that it won’t fall. When the fence is repaired at one end, it collapses at the other. The roof leaks, the kitchen door won’t close, there are cracks in the foundation, the torn knees of children’s pants … One can’t keep everything in mind. The wonder is that beside all this one can notice the spring which is so full of everything continuing in all directions – into evening clouds, into the redwing’s song and into every drop of dew on every blade of grass in the meadow, as far as the eye can see, into the dusk.
By Jaan Kaplinski (Translated from Estonian by Jaan Kaplinski, Sam Hamill and Riina Tamm)
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this mindful poetry collection. Let me know if your favourites too. Louise
We all move every day hundreds if not thousands of time. How many of those movements are you aware of your body and the sensations as they happen? Very few I would guess. Well that can change if you deliberately learn how to do a mindful stretch.
To begin your mindful stretch, come into a standing position and notice your breath. Just feel your breath coming in and going out. You could place your hand on your belly and feel how it rises and falls with the breath.
Now slowly move your weight side to side and back and forth until you feel like you are evenly balanced. Drop your shoulders away from your ears and release your jaw. Notice how your body feels. Really listen to your body as you breathe.
Move Mindfully
If it feels ok, you could close your eyes at this point. If that doesn’t feel good, just lower your gaze slightly. Now on an out breath, slowly start to move your arms out to the sides until they are shoulder height. Ensure your shoulders are relaxed and not crunching towards your ears!
Really pay attention to the sensations in your arms, shoulders and torso as you raise your arms up. On the next exhalation, continue to slowly move your arms up above your head. Drop your shoulders again and take another breath. On the next out breath, stretch one hand even further up and then relax it. Repeat with the other hand. Check in with your arms, shoulders, torso, legs and feet again. See what you can notice now. How does your body feel now?
With the next exhalation, slowly start to move your arms back to shoulder height. Check in again with your body and the sensations. See if anything feels different now. On the next out breath, slowly move your arms back down to your sides. What can you notice now? Check how your breath and body feel now.
You can repeat this process several times and notice how you feel at the end of the movement. Try doing different types of mindful stretches or mindful movements and notice how that feels. Be curious and focus on the body sensations not how far you stretched.
Move During Your Day
You can do this mindful stretch or movement several times during the day. Try doing it first thing in the morning, when you get out of bed. It is great to do this if you sit at a desk all day. Not only do you get a chance to move your body, you also drop out of the busyness of your head for a few minutes. Repeat the movement before you go to bed and you will begin to drop out of doing mode and into being mode. This can help you sleep better if your mind is less busy.
Want to know more about the benefits of mindfulness meditation? Pop over here.
Here are my top tips to get the most out of your mindfulness meditation experiences:
Let Go of Expectation
With mindfulness meditation we want to let go of any expectation. If we start with an expectation that we will feel relaxed and our mind is very busy during our practice, we will be disappointed! So we want to let go of any expected feeling, sensation or outcome.
In life, we so often become attached to certain experiences and feelings. If we feel happy or good, we don’t want it to end. It is a natural human tendency. During our meditation we constantly need to let go. We let go of our thoughts and emotions if we are focusing on the breath. We let go of pleasant feelings that occur during our meditation and likewise our unpleasant ones too. We just accept what is here, moment by moment. Letting go is part of staying present in the present moment.
Acceptance
Acknowledging/accepting things just as they are. We need to accept things as they are in this present moment. We often won’t like the experience (e.g. pain or a feeling of anger) but if we accept it is here it loses its power over us and can transform naturally without us striving to change it. It is the paradox that if we strive to change the experience we aren’t accepting it, but if we accept it, our experience can change.
Beginners Mind
It is helpful to adopt a beginners mind. Being child-like in our attitude so that we bring a sense of curiosity and fun to our experiences. Children don’t pre judge or have vast past experiences that they refer to. We need to let go of our beliefs and our expectations from our past experiences. Letting go of thinking we know what will happen and just being curious to the experience. As if each meditation is the first one we’ve ever done.
Non-striving
This is embracing being mode. We are so caught up in doing mode in our daily lives, that we need to emphasise the non-striving attitude of being during meditation practice. We aren’t trying to get anywhere, we have no goal, we’re just being. Noticing what is happening in this present moment. Being aware of our experience as it happens, as it is here anyway.
Kindness
Finally, and very importantly, we need to be kind to ourselves. Interwoven through all of the above and in our practice, should be an attitude of kindness. Of loving warmth, friendliness, compassion and forgiveness towards ourselves. If we can let go of self-criticism (I’m doing it wrong) and be kind and patient with ourselves we will embody mindfulness much more.
“Just watch this moment, without trying to change it at all. What is happening? What do you feel? What do you see? What do you hear?” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
I hope you find these tips useful. Remember to keep practising. Let your experience be your experience.
I love Autumn – it is a great time to be in nature. There are so many colours to see. You can see the leaves changing colour day by day. It’s a really easy time to be mindful.
Simply fully open your senses as you walk.
Notice the colours and textures.
Feel the cooler temperatures on your face.
Listen to the sound of the wind blowing through the trees.
Listen to the crunch of the fallen leaves.
Smell the earthy smell after the rain.
It’s a really good time to ground yourself too. Maybe you have a favourite tree. Go and stand next to it and connect with it’s energy. Or sit against it and close your eyes and just be for a while.
“Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.” – Elizabeth Lawrence
If it’s not too cold, try walking barefoot on the grass or at the beach. Wrap up warm and sit outside for a while, tuning in to what you can see, hear and smell. To connect with our sense of taste why not cook some warming soup or a hearty stew.
You could collect some fallen leaves and bring them home to remind you to connect to mother nature. Make an Autumnal display and put it somewhere prominent in your home. This is especially good if you live in the city.
“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.” – William Cullen Bryant
I hope you enjoy grounding yourself and being mindful this Autumn.
April is Stress Awareness Month. We all suffer from stress from time to time. Learning your stress triggers and responses is really helpful.
Here’s some useful questions that can help you manage your stress:
Q. How do you know you are getting stressed?
Q. Where do you feel stress in your body?
Q. What happens when your stress levels get high?
Q. Do you know how to reduce your stress?
Having self care activities written down and ready to go is really helpful. When we are stressed we don’t think clearly. So writing down things that work to reduce your stress really helps when you need it the most.
Things that might help:
Meditation (even 5 minutes can make a difference)
Exercise e.g. walking in nature
Breathing techniques
Reiki
Having a relaxing bath
EFT (Tapping)
It is best to counter stress before it gets too bad. So learn to recognise the signs that you are getting stressed and take some positive actions to reduce it. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for you. So find out what works best for you and do that!
If you’d like some help reducing your stress, I’d love to help. I have helped clients for almost 20 years and have lots of experience and different tools to draw on.
Many of us know the benefits of mindfulness but we have such busy lives that it feels like we never have enough time. If that sounds familiar then this meditation is for you. Most people can manage to find the time to practice this one. It’s called the Breathing Space meditation and it can be as short as just 3 minutes!
3 Minute Breathing Space
Firstly, make a conscious change to your posture. Sit upright with your back straight but not stiff. Close your eyes if that feels ok.
Step 1
Ask yourself what’s going on in your mind and body right now?
What thoughts are present?
What feelings are here?
Become aware of any sensations in the body.
Don’t try to change anything. Just be aware of what is already here. Try not to judge anything, just bring your kind attention to whatever is here, right now.
Step 2
Now, become aware of your breathing. Narrow your attention to just the sensations of your breathing.
See if you can feel your breath moving in your abdomen.
Try and notice the full inhalation and the full exhalation.
If your mind wanders (as it naturally will), just gently bring it back to your breath. Coming in and going out.
Step 3
Finally, expand the focus of awareness now to take in your whole body. As if your whole body was breathing.
Become aware of your posture, any sensations on surface of your skin and deeper in your body.
Holding in awareness all the sensations in your body and breath just as they are.
Coming home to your body, coming home to this moment.
As best you can, bring this expanded awareness to the rest of your day.
Here’s my recorded version if you’d like to try it:
The Autumn Equinox this year happened on Sunday 23rd September at 2.54am (BST). This is of course in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere it was the Spring (or vernal) equinox. So it means that it’s officially Autumn now. Autumn is a time of transition, where the leaves change colour and fall. The days become equal with the night and the temperature starts to drop. It is a good time of year to see if you need to make any changes in your life too.
Autumn Retreat
Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year and I was due to attend a Woodland Mindfulness retreat, but thanks to the storm it got cancelled. I was very disappointed as I had been looking forward to it for ages. However, I glad I wasn’t in a tent when the rain and wind were lashing against my windows over the weekend! I did some tapping to help myself deal with the disappointment and decided I didn’t just want it to be an ‘ordinary’ weekend, so I had a home retreat instead.
I went for a long walk on the Friday and was mindful of the gorgeous Autumn colours. I listened to the wind, the birds and insects as they went about their business. As I walked, I also tuned in to the felt senses of my body. Feeling my feet hitting the ground, the muscles of my legs moving and the beating of my heart. I brought mindful awareness to my thoughts and emotions as they arose. When I got home I spent time writing in my journal and doing some mindful colouring in. I did several meditations throughout the day and pampered myself a bit.
Yoga Nidra Day
On the Saturday I went to a Yoga day celebrating the Autumn equinox. We did some gentle yoga and a couple of yoga nidra sessions. Yoga nidra means sleep – a very relaxing type of meditation. We laid on our mats, with blankets under our heads, bolsters under our knees and wrapped ourselves in several warm blankets. Once we were warm and snuggly our lovely teacher Fiona led us on a journey through our body and into a deep state of relaxation. We dined on delicious vegan food and in the afternoon we braved the wind and rain and foraged for leaves, berries and plants to make a beautiful Mandala. I loved doing that and the finished Mandala looked gorgeous.
Autumn Self-care
The day was very nurturing and insightful – just what I needed. It reminded me of the importance of self-care. This is a topic very dear to my heart and one I talk about a lot to my clients.
We cannot keep on keeping on without taking care of ourselves. Nature is starting to slow down, so I encourage you to take some time out and look after you this Autumn. Spend some time thinking about what changes you need to make in your life:
Do you need to slow down too?
Do you need to take care of yourself more?
Do you need to let go of something?
I would be happy to help you on your self-care journey. Do get in touch if you would like some help.
Eating mindfully is a great way to eat more healthily. Think about it. If you eat on the go, grabbing what is convenient and quick, you will often be eating unhealthily. If you eat quickly at your desk whilst working, you will definitely be eating non-mindfully. You will be more likely to overeat or eat unhealthy snacks when you’re not paying attention. You may even reach the end of the packet of crisps and realise you haven’t even tasted them!
Eating mindfully is an easy way to eat more healthily. Make some time to make yourself a healthy, nutritious lunch. Or if you are really pressed for time, grab yourself a ready made salad or sandwich. Spend some time choosing a healthier option.
If you can, get away from your desk (even if it’s just for 10 minutes). Take a deep breath before you begin. Open your lunch and just look at it. Notice all the different colours, shapes and textures. Breathe in again and notice the smells. You may now start to salivate. Notice how you feel about your lunch. Notice what is happening in your body. Is your stomach now anticipating your food?
Slowly bring your first bite/forkful towards your mouth. Take another breath before you place it in your mouth. Notice the sensations on your tongue and the sensations as you start to chew slowly. Chew for longer than you normally would and notice how your body feels as you swallow. Don’t start getting your next forkful ready until you have swallowed the first one. See if you can eat the whole of your lunch like this.
Be mindful of each forkful/bite if you can. Any time you notice that your mind has wandered, gently bring it back to your lunch. Notice the colours, shapes and textures again. Notice the taste and smell. Become aware of how your body is feeling. Notice how you feel emotionally.
If you can, wash up your dishes mindfully and try to bring your mindful awareness with you when you return back to your desk.
Try to practice eating this way at least once a week. If you can, be very mindful of the first bite or sip of each meal or drink that you have.
You may find that you start to make healthier choices when you are choosing/making your food.
This week has been Reiki Awareness Week. I have been posting every day on Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word about this fabulous technique.
I first came across Reiki over 15 years ago. I went to a spa for a bit of relaxation and pampering and thought I would just have massage and facial. However, one of the ladies there was offering Reiki (which I had never heard of). I decided to give it a go and loved it so much that I later trained to be a practitioner. The rest as they say is history!
I had the pleasure of attending a Reiki share on Tuesday to celebrate Reiki Awareness Week. This is where Reiki practitioners get together and swap sessions. There were 12 of us in the group and the energy in the room was amazing. We had 4 couches set up, which meant 4 groups of 3 people sharing Reiki at the same time. One person laid on the couch to receive, whilst the other 2 shared Reiki and then we swapped.
As a practitioner, I regularly give myself Reiki and practice the precepts etc. However, it was wonderful to just lie back and receive Reiki from other people. We also spent time sending out Reiki to people in need.
Reiki is very relaxing to receive and my clients often fall asleep during the session.
Reiki works on all levels, not just the physical and can help us emotionally, mentally and spiritually too. It can help our bodies to heal, boost our energy levels and increase our feeling of wellbeing. It is very helpful following an illness or operation. Regular Reiki helps boost our immune system, helping us stay healthy. It can also help us make better health choices too, by becoming more mindful and tuning in to what our body needs.
If you would like to learn more, checkout my Reiki page or get in touch to book your session now.
We have all probably heard of mindfulness by now. So what are the real-life benefits of doing mindfulness?
I created the following image to show some of the benefits…
These are just some of the benefits of mindfulness meditation. Others include:
Greater zest for life
Improved mood
Reduced depression
Better resilience
Pain management
Decrease in cigarette, alcohol or drug abuse
Immunity boost
Many people find it hard to find the time to meditate. You can begin to benefit from just 5 or 10 minutes a day, so even if you are very busy, you should be able to fit it in your day. It is better to practice consistently every day for just 5 or 10 minutes than once in a while doing a long practice (30 minutes plus).
Find a time of day that suits you – not everyone can do it first thing in the morning. You might find when you get home from work a good time – allowing you to transition from work mode into home mode. It is also important to find a posture that works for you too. You don’t have to be cross-legged on the floor. You could be sat in a chair or lying down if that is more comfortable. You can have your feet flat on the floor with your knees knocked in and just touching each other. You are less likely to fall asleep in this position and it is helpful if you have a bad back.
The simplest meditation is to focus on your breathing. Watching the full breath on the inhalation and on the exhalation. Any time you find your mind has wandered (and it will – repeatedly!) gently bring it back to your breathing. Notice where in your body you can feel your breath – your nostrils, the back of your throat or your belly rising and falling with each breath.
Why not give it a go?
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – Dalai Lama
Yay! It’s Autumn. One of my favourite times of year. It’s also the perfect time of year to be more mindful. I will share with you some tips on how to be more mindful at this time of year…
Mindful in Nature
Nature is putting on a spectacular show for us right now. So, time to tune in, slow down and appreciate the beauty around us.
Notice the amazing colours of the leaves as they transform. From yellow to orange to red to burgundy. The colours in Autumn are just incredible. I love to notice the transformation of certain trees that I see every day. One minute the leaves are all green and the next they are yellow or orange.
You can also walk mindfully amongst the fallen leaves. Remember when you were a kid and you used to walk through the leaves, kicking them up. Why not do that now? Listen to the rustle of the leaves, watch the colours and textures as they fall. Feel the crisp air on your skin and the wind blowing your hair.
Candle Meditation
Autumn is the start of the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer. I love to light candles in the evening and this is a great way to do a little mindful meditation.
Watch the flickering flame for awhile and then close your eyes. Picture the candle in your minds eye. If you can’t “see” it then open your eyes slightly so that you can just physically see the flame. Then bring your attention to your breath, watch the full breath coming and going. Focus on the candle in your minds eye whilst breathing calmly and deeply. Finish off by offering up your gratitude for the candle, the light and warmth of the flame and anything else you are grateful for in your life.
Autumn Mindful Eating
With the colder weather our minds turn to comforting and warming food. Soups, stews and casseroles are perfect at this time of year. You can be more mindful whilst preparing your food – lots of peeling and chopping to do! Be more mindful as you eat too – savour the smell, look, texture and taste – especially of your first bite.
“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower”
In the hurly burly of modern living we can easily get caught up in the constant game of doing. So it’s a great thing to just BE from time to time.
Recently, I was out walking with my husband and step daughter on Dartmoor. They’d stopped to take some photos so I carried on walking for a bit on my own. Then I found a nice rock to sit on and I sat for awhile just being in the present moment.
I could feel the warming sun on my skin, the gentle breeze teasing my hair. I noticed the sounds of the birds and sheep and smelt the grass.
It was a wonderful experience, just noticing my surroundings. Then once I had done that I began to notice my body, my breath and my thoughts and feelings. I started to let my thoughts and feelings go and just focus fully on my experiences. I was just being. In the present moment, enjoying it to the full.
Making It Last
So how can we make experiences like this last? I took some photographs and also took a mental photograph, capturing not just the visual images but all my other sense experiences and the feeling of peace and tranquillity, contentment and gratitude. You can use experiences this this as a good anchor. You just need to bring them to mind in stressful moments. You can replay how calm and peaceful you felt, how relaxed your body was. This can help bring to the same feeling and reduce your stress.
Increasing These Moments
You don’t need to be out in the wilds of Dartmoor to have experiences like this. You can practice just being practically anywhere. Just notice what is in your environment, then bring your awareness to your body, your breath and just be for awhile…
At times it can feel as if we have a monkey in our mind. We can feel out of control and our minds seem to have a mind of their own! Our thoughts jump from one topic to another to another. Our feelings can also bounce all over the place, leaving us feel unsettled. So what can we do when we feel the monkey has taken over?
Here I will discuss a couple of different options – EFT and Mindfulness.
EFT
EFT is a great tool for helping us deal with our emotions and what we are feeling. So tune in to how you feel – are you frustrated, annoyed, sad or angry? Whatever the feelings or emotions are you can use them in your tapping. Here’s an example:
Even though I’m annoyed that my monkey mind has taken over, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
Even though it feels like there’s a monkey in my mind and I feel scared and out of control, I choose to accept all of me anyway
Even though I feel frustrated and angry that my monkey mind is out of control, I wonder if I can accept myself anyway
Then complete as many rounds as you need to reduce these feelings and emotions as close to a zero on the SUDS scale as you can (10 = maximum anger etc and 0=none). You may need to do many rounds of tapping, depending on what is going on. Remember to be thorough and try to get to 0 if you can. Adjust the wording each round if necessary as you get closer and closer to the underlying cause of your monkey mind.
Mindfulness
It can be hard to meditate when you have a monkey in your mind. It’s important here to bring the qualities of kindness, compassion and non-judgement to your practice.
Quite often the harder we try, the more the monkey plays up! So go with it – don’t judge, just acknowledge the different thoughts and feelings as they come up. “Oh there goes my monkey mind again!”. Note what type of thoughts you’re having and name them e.g. “thinking, thinking”, “worrying, worrying”, “planning, planning”.
Then very gently, bring your mind back to your focus – e.g. your breath moving in and out of your belly. Or you may want to use a certain body anchor to focus on e.g. the stillness in your feet.
You may need to bring your mind back tens or hundreds of times – and that’s ok. Your mind will naturally wonder from time to time and sometimes the monkey will want to play more! Each time just bring a calm, kind acknowledgement to where it has been and bring it back to your anchor. Some days will be easier than others. Always remember to be kind and compassionate to yourself and your practice. You really are doing the best you can.
Combination
I have found it to be really helpful to do some tapping before I meditate. I tap to identify the source of my monkey mind first. After tapping several rounds I am usually calmer and more centred. I am then in a much better position to sit down and do my meditation. I then find that my mind is much less monkey like and able to stay focused on my breath or body anchor for my meditation.
I recently discovered this wonderful poem about our monkey mind by Kaveri Patel.
Thanking a Monkey
There’s a monkey in my mind swinging on a trapeze, reaching back to the past or leaning into the future, never standing still.
Sometimes I want to kill that monkey, shoot it square between the eyes so I won’t have to think anymore or feel the pain of worry.
But today I thanked her and she jumped down straight into my lap, trapeze still swinging as we sat still.
by Kaveri Patel
(http://www.wisdominwaves.com)
I hope that this has helped you work with your monkey mind 🙂