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Daily Mindfulness
Hi everybody,
Here's a question that I've been working with for a little while now. During meditation I find that it's fairly easy for me to bring my attention to the breath and keep it there as an anchor. Thoughts constantly come up, but I let them go with as little resistance as possible, and on a good day I can keep my attention on the counting of the breath without many breaks. But, whenever I'm not meditating and am without a single anchor for my attention, I find myself completely lost in thoughts most of the time. I try to pay attention to what I'm doing, to the simple things going on around me, but it's always a short step from that to getting tangled up in the thought trains that we all know. My question is, are there other anchors for keeping my attention in the present? Is this something that just takes practice? Thanks for any advice!
Scott
Here's a question that I've been working with for a little while now. During meditation I find that it's fairly easy for me to bring my attention to the breath and keep it there as an anchor. Thoughts constantly come up, but I let them go with as little resistance as possible, and on a good day I can keep my attention on the counting of the breath without many breaks. But, whenever I'm not meditating and am without a single anchor for my attention, I find myself completely lost in thoughts most of the time. I try to pay attention to what I'm doing, to the simple things going on around me, but it's always a short step from that to getting tangled up in the thought trains that we all know. My question is, are there other anchors for keeping my attention in the present? Is this something that just takes practice? Thanks for any advice!
Scott
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Comments
I also find that while I'm on the cushion, my attention and focus can be directed to the breath and mindfulness of mind and body (not easily, but it can be done), but when the session ends, it all goes back to complete chaos in my mind.
That said, I HAVE been feeling like my mind is racing less, like I'm having less negative thoughts and also feeling like I can let go of the thoughts once the come to my mind and my attention.
I think mindfulness on a more general level(off the cushion), is an acquired skill and if we keep on practicing and having the intention to be aware and in the "here and now", we will succeed in achieving a more calm, quiet mind, that's more aware of it's surroundings and itself.
I just bought a book yesterday that's two dhamma talks by ajahn chah, i'll copy some of the text for you later. But this is my opinion and answer to your question.
When you think you're in trouble because your mind's activity is not beneficial, instead of focusing on the breath (not very practical sometimes, like in social situations), focus on "what should I do?" in other words, right action and right speech. DON'T ACT! Don't send any energy outwards, that is, don't move your body, face, eyes, mouth, UNTIL you have determined an appropriate action for the present moment. An appropriate action is HONEST, beneficial to yourself and others, in accordance with the truth, aiding liberation.
I don't mean to confuse you by adding more suggestions to the already good advice of the above posters, but I will do it anyway. If you do start overthinking things and it does end up confusing you then just remember what has been useful to you already and throw the rest away. Different techniques work better for different people and in different phases of their practice. With that long-winded disclaimer out the way...here are my suggestions:
1) Contemplate death. One of the most direct ways of stilling the monkey mind is by being aware of your own mortality. Obviously we all know that we have to die, but it tends to get pushed to the back of the mind. The truth is we will die, maybe when we are 90 years old...but maybe in a week, maybe tomorrow, maybe in five minutes. We simply don't know when or how it will happen. So, every now and then, especially when the mind is thinking about all kinds of unimportant things just say to yourself "I will die......" and let it echo in your mind then say to yourself "....that's for sure...." and let that resonate too. In my experience that is a really powerful tranquilizer dart for the monkey mind. If you like you can also do it when you are walking or sitting meditation.
2) Hold your breath. Take a deep breath in, as deep as you possibly can, and hold it until you can't hold it any more then let all the air out. Simple and effective.
3) As others have suggested, keep practicing. Whatever method(s) works for you, stick to it! And remember not to judge each meditation by what you experience, but instead focus on how you relate to what you experience. Focus on the causes rather than the effects. Kind of like a person who plants a tree in good soil, fertilizes it, waters it, makes sure that animals don't come and eat it - these are the causes for the tree to grow (at least, these are the causes within his control). Whether or not that tree actually grows is none of his business. In the same way, whether or not your mind is peaceful or restless is none of your business. Focus instead on the causes for the mind to be peaceful, know what those causes are and develop those causes.
With Metta,
Guy
It seems like every other day (over the past week), I have a very mindful day. The next day I'm constantly shooting at monkeys. Today was one of them, and it was a bit frustrating.
Glad I saw this post. It helps...
Some days are better than others sure. But I go back to something I read in "Wisdom from Peace is Every Step"....that is a bell that gets rung every hour to remind the monks to come back to mindfulness or the present moment.
So what I do for myself is...when I hear music, or when I find myself looking at a clock, or when I am about to eat, basically, any number of actions I do throughout the day/night I related to the bell....I have found by doing this I am pretty much always in a present state of mind without my thoughts hammering down on me.
Works for me. Just a suggestion.
Kinda like a kick to the head huh?
That sounds very very useful. And your technique, kicktothehead, sounds useful as well. I'll have to remember that for my own use.
Hahahaha...yes exactly.
One thing that helps me is being in a quiet outdoor place, preferrable with abundant vegetation. Something in me just doesn't cope well with city life-- my mind reacts to it by going into monkey mode. However, when I go for a walk in a park or even just a street, some clarity emerges. It's as if nature has this positive energy that gets cut off in an urban environment...