Q and A: My mind is exhausting me. Help!
Question:
Hi Shamash
I love your teachings and first discovered you through the Mindfulness Summit. I'm confused by your last post. I started meditating because my mind was crazy. Ruminating on scary things and creating thoughts that were not true. My anxiety was out of control reacting to all these stories my mind was spinning. I'm not sure how I could just let my mind go off on its own. The way it feels now, it's on one worry, then after a while it drops that one, but it on to the next. Do I just let it do that? I mean that's what it's doing already, but I try to notice and bring it back to the breath. It's very exhausting with this craziness!
Thank you,
A
Answer.
Dear A,
That's a great question.
The mind is a funny thing. For some reason it goes to lots of negative thoughts and gets stuck with tricky emotions.
Control is actual the problem. Not the solution.
So, I'd recommend you have a go at changing your relationship with your mind.
Next time you have 10 minutes or so, just let your mind go where it wants to go, with kindness. Try and hold a little smile on your face and let it go to all those usual worries if it wants to.
Then when it's bored of that, it'll come back to you and you can enjoy your body or breath or whatever arises in the ores net moment. And it'll soon become very pleasant and your mind will love hanging out with you in the present moment!
At the moment, your mind worries and then you worry about that and bring it back. And that's another worry! Most people do that.
So let your mind be. No more bossing your poor mind around. The only difference this time is, you're having a kind and positive attitude to your mind.
Imagine a lake that has ripples on it. How do you calm and enjoy the view of the lake? Not by patting it down and interfering! No. By watching the lake with a smile and letting it settle all by itself.
Enjoy the lake of your mind - it's a show!
If your mind is too busy and you just can't do this, stay tuned and I'll show you some tricks to get the mind to start chilling out. But the coolest and best way is the above one, if you can!
Let us know how you all get on with this.
Warm wishes,
Shamash
Office: 020 7060 3392