Making Friends With The Monkey Mind

January 6, 2022

Jumping from one thought to the next, our minds most nearly resemble monkeys as they swing from tree to tree. Yoga, as defined by the great sage Patanjali, is ‘the neutralization of alternating waves of consciousness’. Whether moving and breathing on a mat, seated at our desk, or sitting on the couch, we are working with the mind and all its goals, cravings, desires, and to-dos. Learning to stabilize the mind is the first step towards attaining the lifelong asset of mental equilibrium. The following tips and tricks will help you to train the monkey mind so that you can take a comfortable meditative seat.

Boredom Can Be Good

Think about a time when you last experienced the feeling of boredom. It probably made you so uncomfortable that your mind made you do something, anything but just sit there. This is kind of what learning to meditate is like. When we first take our set, the mind will get bored and want to stand us right back up to engage in something else. Learning about the different stages of boredom is a great entry point to learning to train the monkey mind.

For the compulsive parts of our mind to relax, we must first recognize that boredom can be beneficial. There are a couple of types of boredom. The first is hot boredom. Hot boredom is much like that mosquito bite you know if you scratch will only itch more. The best alternative to scratching that itch is to breathe through the discomfort and simply notice that the itch is there. As you notice, you can say to yourself “Not much is happening besides the activity in my mind. My mind is simply experiencing what is already there be it irritation, frustration, or discomfort.”

After we choose to abide with boredom and arrive deeper into a state of being rather than doing, we will next experience what is called Cool Boredom. Cool boredom happens when our nervous system is still slowing down, but there is a latent rather than rampant restlessness. In this stage, it is helpful to invite appreciation and even humor. Imagine that you are trying to enjoy a nice cup of tea in the middle of Grand Central Station. It’s kind of comical, isn’t it? While it’s not the most peaceful place, it can be more pleasant if you choose to focus on the taste and feel of the tea in your belly rather than the people passing by.

Spaciousness is the Secret Sauce

Boredom, believe it or not, is the birthing place of mental spaciousness. It is the sense of expanse where the compulsive mind relaxes and you begin to let the practice pass through you. Mental spaciousness is like the vast sky and the thoughts are like clouds — they will soon fade if you let them. Bet you never thought boredom could be so cool.

The Rabbit Hole

Here is another rule — don’t go down the rabbit hole! When you witness your thoughts pass by, your mind will want to try to make something of them. Don’t let it! Say, for example, you think about a business proposal you recently sent to your boss. Your mind might say, “Gosh I haven’t heard anything back from them yet. It’s probably because they don’t like it. Ugh, I must have messed up. If only I had changed that one part. I should go do that now and send it back. That will make me feel better.” Do you see what I mean? The mind is so good at making up any story to keep us from detaching and letting things be as they are. Conceptualizing thoughts like clouds is a great way to begin because like clouds, you can’t catch thoughts. They might look dense from your point of view, but as you know when you are up in that airplane, they are pretty much translucent.

Breath As Your Home Base

The key to keeping the mind from attaching to thoughts is to utilize the breath as your anchor. The breath is the home base into the present moment. It isn’t stuck in the past or anxious about the future. It just inhales. It just exhales. The breath is quite literally our life force. It keeps us alive so effortlessly that we don’t even have to think about it. If you find yourself lost in thought, mindlessly scrolling on social media, or reaching for that craving, you can use the simple and easy mantra: “Back to the breath.”

Let’s take a few moments to put these tips into practice. Wherever you are, come into a comfortable seat. When you are ready, press play.

May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be at ease and free from suffering.

Prayer of the Day: Dear Divine One, make me an empty vessel so I may fill up with nothing but the fruits of your love, wisdom, and divine passion. Aum. Peace. Amen.