The monkey mind is one of the main obstacles new meditators must face.

Monkey mind is the term Eastern spiritual teachers apply to the endless thoughts that stream through our brains. Mind chatter is one of the trade-offs of having a cerebral cortex.

It can be especially daunting if the mind has a habit of cycling through negative thoughts or the body has just experienced a disturbing event. Negative thoughts are part of the human survival system, but sometimes they can make life tough.

The mind chatter of the monkey mind is most effectively tamed through meditation. It takes practice and time because it involves creating new neural pathways in your brain. Give your practice at least a month.

Ordinarily, our minds are focused on problem-solving and accomplishing important activities like working and answering emails. It is when our minds are unoccupied such as when we walk, relax, or meditate that the mind starts to chatter. This is one of our motivations for staying busy all the time.

Even when we take a vacation we often crowd out schedules with endless activities so we don't have to listen to our thoughts.

Meditation can silence the chattering brain. For the beginner, however, it also provides the empty space for the monkey mind to go berserk. 

The slow movement and breath exercises used in the Sufi meditation work help to capture the monkey's attention. The changing movements keep it focused on the moment, while the slowness of the movement enables the body to slow down and enjoy the sensations of each movement. 

While the movement captures the mind’s attention, slow breathing relaxes the nervous system and gradually brings the mind into a meditative state. 

Unfortunately, the monkey mind gets bored easily, so the movement is constantly changing — enough time to be able to follow the movement but not enough time for the chatter to resume. Difficult movements are interspersed with easy ones to further distract the monkey.

The very slow arm movement exercise demands continual focus as it is both continuous and nonrepetitive. Combined with the breath this slow movement can be hypnotic and concentration may lessen. After several minutes of this movement, you are usually invited to do your own creative movement. For an experienced meditator, this allows complete immersion in one's own intuitive movement. 

For a new meditator, closing your eyes and doing your own movement can feel daunting. "What do I do next?"" Didn't I just do that?" "I can't think of anything to do." The mind may jump in with a barrage of frustrating thoughts or feelings of inadequacy.

You can handle this either by 1) opening your eyes and continuing to follow whatever the teacher is doing, or 2) you can practice focusing on your breath while allowing the music and your own body to lead you. Inhale as your movement expands outward and exhale as it contracts toward your center. Extend your breath as long as you can on both the inhale and exhale. Conscious breathing is very effective at riveting your mind. 3.) You can also alternate between following the teacher and doing your own movement. 

Sufi Moving Mediation class meets every Friday (tomorrow) at 8 am PDT.

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89999494833?pwd=V2pOS28yYUdXM3hkaW1rVWIvSjBUdz09

Meeting ID: 899 9949 4833

Passcode: SUFI

8 am PDT is early morning on the West Coast! Here's a time converter link if you need to check the time in your location.

Hope to see you tomorrow,

Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peticolas

Life Transformation Coach

Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss

Secrets of Life and Death

https://www.facebook.com/secretsoflifeanddeath.com