By Damien Rider
In many Eastern cultures, monkeys symbolize mischief, cleverness, curiosity, humor, and restlessness. Given these qualities, you can imagine that today’s lesson is about a part of your mind that is imaginative, can be playful, and is often very distracted.
We’re going to learn about the monkey mind and explore the ways that these lessons can help you achieve focus and progress despite the restless tendencies of your mind.
Understanding The Monkey Mind
“Monkey mind” is a term used in Buddhist teachings to describe the part of your mind that is unsettled and restless when you’re trying to do a task or just relax. It seems to nag and poke at you, either telling you stories of imaginary scenarios creating self-doubt, over-thinking what’s ahead causing exhaustion before you even begin your task, or criticizing you in a menacing, judgmental, ego-based voice. The monkey mind can lead to feelings of fear, guilt, anger, sadness, envy and resentment. It is what prevents you from moving forward with your goals and overcoming past trauma.
If you thought prior that you “couldn’t meditate” or “were bad at meditating,” that’s because of the monkey mind.
The monkey mind insists on being heard, and that’s why it’s so difficult to deal with. It can cause us to get overwhelmed or let our thoughts run wild and trail away from what you need to accomplish.
Calming The Monkey Mind
Understanding, connecting and practicing these lessons teaches you to observe and explore your thoughts without ego or judgment. By using breath connection, the elements, and progressive movement, you’ll become stronger at staying present and continuing to move forward, despite the prodding of the monkey mind.
Unlike meditation that urges you to clear your thoughts totally, this method allows you to observe and interact with them in a calm and focused way instead. It feels more attainable, takes less time, and the time it takes to process your thoughts and feelings will become shorter and shorter as you continue to use our approach because of the way it hacks your nervous system.
Without strengthening your nervous system, the negative thoughts that quickly manifest can take control of your day. My clients and practitioners of this method understand where these thoughts are coming from and use the techniques to guide their thoughts along in a forward-moving and purpose- driven direction.
