Is your mind full of thoughts? Of course it is, we are constantly thinking, observing, commenting. It is a normal practice, but what you think and say, and what you do with those thoughts, is important. According To Eckhart Tolle we dwell more on negative thoughts than positive ones. But the first step, he says, to changing anything is awareness.
This negative dialogue for dieters is always there. My mind spent decades involved with my food and body journey, mulling over all the failures. The judgement led to the cycle of negative self talk and the constant self flagellation.The lack of Kindness made it impossible to be happy with my body and food. This constant abuse took its toil. After the initial awareness and the shock of how prevalent and abundant the abuse had became, I was ready to make a change.
This cluttered mind has many layers.
Jon Kabat-Zin, who many credit as introducing Mindfulness to the West, describes it as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgementally”
It is ‘without judgement’ that proves to be the challenge. Years of judging, criticizing and making these thoughts in to dramas is a hard pattern to change.
Acknowledging that these thoughts are just thoughts, they are not real, is a key component. If you see it as fiction, one big drama, it becomes easier to let them go. Trying to beat them to death and berating yourself will not help. You can’t slap yourself in to shape!! It is the non judgement of them that is essential.
When those thoughts come up now, I shift to my breath and observe that.
Eckhart Tolle suggests you switch your mind to your body, focus on the body parts and the sensations in each of them.
Meditation will help calm the busy mind. I often do a 5 minute meditation when I am in a situation of stress.
Distracting the mind by exercise or simple play time with children or doing child like play time such as coloring and doodling is another technique.
The awareness, the lack of judgement and bringing yourself back to the present moment brings the change.
Sometimes I say ‘Thinking, thinking” when my mind is on a spinning cycle. That jolts me back to the present.
Journal-ling every morning is another way of emptying the clutter before the day starts.
Loving Kindness Mettas will also take my mind to a different place when I feel anxious and have a lot of chatter going on. Many times as I walked from the car park to work I would repeat “May I be at ease, May I be at peace”. It stops me going down the hole of hopelessness and helplessness where everything is a catastrophe.
Practice. Practice. Nothing happens overnight whether it is the physical journey of change or the mental one.
According to Eckhart ” we are trapped in and by your thoughts”.
Training your mind not to get caught up in them is key to your journey to wellness.
The freedom from mind clutter releases the inner hoarder. You get to experience life without being bogged down by all this worthless junk. At the same time as I started on this journey I de cluttered my external space. This had a big connection to my internal journey.
The freedom from clutter opens up a whole new space in your life.
Ready for more room to live your beautiful life?
Thanks for reading,
Christina