Calming the Mental Clatter
In Ki Class we often start with moving meditation. Sure, it helps strengthen and stretch us, but probably the main benefit we get is that it helps us to start to concentrate - to calm that mental clatter.
Some people tell me “Oh I can’t do meditation, my mind is too busy.” What they don’t realise is that it’s not just in meditation that it is too busy – this is a constant state; it’s only when we meditate and we try to calm things down that we realise how much of the time we are preoccupied (our mind is in one place, our body is somewhere else).
Our internal voice tells us we can’t do things, we’re not good enough, we’re stupid etc… A lot of the time we try to distract ourselves… other times we listen to the voice and it stops us from fulfilling our potential.
When the mental resistance rears it’s head while sitting, I often speak about simply bringing your attention back to your breath, and using counting as a tool. Another tool you can use when that mental clatter starts is to simply name it “Thinking”, then come back to your breath. When we name it in this way it takes the power from it – you recognise it for what it is – not real, just another distraction.
You know, it’s natural for you to have mental distractions when you sit in meditation. But the more adept you become at calming those distractions/resistance in Ki Class, the more it also helps us in our daily life. People start to say, “you’ve changed you’re not reacting like you used to. You seem more confident.” Each time we bring our mind back to our breath in class… we strengthen our ability out of class.
Some people tell me “Oh I can’t do meditation, my mind is too busy.” What they don’t realise is that it’s not just in meditation that it is too busy – this is a constant state; it’s only when we meditate and we try to calm things down that we realise how much of the time we are preoccupied (our mind is in one place, our body is somewhere else).
Our internal voice tells us we can’t do things, we’re not good enough, we’re stupid etc… A lot of the time we try to distract ourselves… other times we listen to the voice and it stops us from fulfilling our potential.
When the mental resistance rears it’s head while sitting, I often speak about simply bringing your attention back to your breath, and using counting as a tool. Another tool you can use when that mental clatter starts is to simply name it “Thinking”, then come back to your breath. When we name it in this way it takes the power from it – you recognise it for what it is – not real, just another distraction.
You know, it’s natural for you to have mental distractions when you sit in meditation. But the more adept you become at calming those distractions/resistance in Ki Class, the more it also helps us in our daily life. People start to say, “you’ve changed you’re not reacting like you used to. You seem more confident.” Each time we bring our mind back to our breath in class… we strengthen our ability out of class.
posted by Tammy Parlour at 2:56 AM
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