Have you ever tried to meditate but your mind just won’t shut up? The harder you try, the worse it gets. And, so, you just give up trying to mediate altogether. Whenever I bring up the subject of meditation, this “monkey mind” problem is what everyone wants to talk about. And once they find out that I’ve been meditating for several years, they mistakenly believe I must have it all figured out. Maybe they’re imagining me sitting in Lotus Pose for hours at a time with a calm, peaceful mind; all zen-like. Ommmmmmm.
Which is crazy because I have “monkey mind” the same as everybody else; I just don’t let it stop me from meditating. I meditate because I have monkey mind. My monkey is crazy! I need a break from his non-stop swinging from branch to branch, tree to tree, forest to forest.
You’ve probably already heard about all of the positive benefits meditation can provide. But just in case you live under a rock, or would like a refresher, here are twenty scientific reasons, according to Psychology Today, that you should start meditating.
- Increases immune function
- Decreases pain
- Decreases inflammation at the cellular level
- Increases positive emotion
- Decreases depression
- Decreases anxiety
- Decreases stress
- Increases social connection and emotional intelligence
- Makes you more compassionate
- Makes you feel less lonely
- Improves your ability to regulate your emotions
- Improves your ability to introspect
- Increases gray matter in your brain
- Increases volume in areas of the brain related to emotion regulation, positive emotions, and self-control
- Increases cortical thickness of the brain in areas related to paying attention
- Increases your focus and attention
- Improves your ability to multitask
- Improves your memory
- Improves your ability to be creative and think outside the box
- It gives you perspective
Whew. That’s quite a comprehensive list. So, why isn’t everyone doing it? Probably because we are so incredibly pressured by society to constantly be going, going, going and doing, doing, doing. To actually sit and do nothing? That’s kind of frowned upon. The crazy thing is, by sitting and doing nothing for a bit, you can actually become more creative and productive.
But that monkey mind can be pretty intense. Don’t think I don’t know. Here’s a little snippet of the conversation that went on in my monkey mind the other day while I was trying to meditate. I was a little more anxious than normal, and it showed.
Inhale…
Why do dogs have to bark so much?
Exhale…
Does anyone in this house know how to be quiet?
Inhale…
I like the sound of crickets chirping. They remind me of my childhood.
Exhale…
The Cricket in Times Square… That’s a good book.
Inhale…
Ow. What was that pain in my wrist…?
Exhale…
I wonder why Nickel’s not home yet. Dairy Queen must be busy.
Inhale…
I hope his ice cream doesn’t melt before he gets home. Maybe he’ll eat it while he drives.
Exhale…
That’s what Scott does. It’s probably not the safest thing to do…
Inhale…
I like ice cream. I wish it were better for you.
Exhale…
Squirrels are weird.
Inhale…
Chipmunks are cuter. Except when you find them dead in the yard. That’s not so cute. Thank you, cats.
Exhale…
I wonder if I could get my foot behind my head. Maybe I should try that right now…
Inhale…
I think I put too much garlic in the guacamole tonight.
Exhale…
Little Mexico’s salsa has lots of garlic in it. I wake up the next morning with the taste of garlic in my mouth.
Inhale…
I wish I could eat whatever I want again.
Exhale…
I hope I sleep better tonight. This getting up four times a night to pee sucks.
Inhale…
Why do I have IC?
Exhale…
That was a weird dream last night.
Inhale…
Why in the world was I driving a tiny, red, motorized toy car?
Exhale…
And what was up with that long, knitted, purple scarf around my neck? I just kept winding it around and around…
Inhale…
Okay, so, I’m not proud of this. Especially the part about getting my foot behind my head. (For the record, I can’t. Don’t ask me how I know this.) But in an effort to be completely transparent with all of you, I am sharing all my flaws and weaknesses, embarrassing though they may be. Because I really, really want you all to know the joys of meditating.
There are lots of different things you can do to calm the monkey mind. Concentrating on the breath is a really easy method and the one I use most often. Sometimes I like to count while I breathe: inhale-two-three-four, exhale-two-three-four. Sometimes I place my concentration on the pause at the end of each inhale and at the end of each exhale. Sometimes I just say inhaling while I inhale and exhaling while I exhale. If the thoughts are really crazy, I imagine placing them on a cloud in the sky or on a leaf in a stream and I watch them float away. I’ve also tried repeating mantras like “Om”. I love to use ujjayi breath, also known as ocean breath. It sounds like the ocean in my head and I find it very soothing. (I’ll teach you that one if you happen to come to one of my classes.) Another of my favorite techniques is to relax each part of my body from the top of my crown to the tips of my toes, one body part at a time. There are also several meditation apps you can get on your phone that can help you learn to meditate. My favorite one is Calm. I use it every day. I even sleep to the ocean wave background sounds/scenes every night.
There are so many different techniques to help quiet the monkey mind. It really doesn’t matter which one you choose. All that matters is that you try. I may sometimes feel like I’m doing a terrible job meditating, but I keep at it anyway because I know the benefits are there. I can feel them in my everyday life. I’m much more mindful about the things that I do now, no matter how mundane they are. I don’t waste my time worrying about multi-tasking anymore; which isn’t really a viable thing anyway (and I’m not crazy about it being on the above list, to be honest.) Being mindful of and concentrating on one task at a time is so much more productive than trying to do several things at once. I am also less reactive now than I was before, and I try to take a breath, pause, and think before I speak. As for my health, I can’t begin to tell you how much it has improved since I began meditating. Sometimes it’s difficult to fit it in to my day, but I always make time for it. It’s really that important to me.
My husband says he doesn’t have time to meditate even once a day. He says that right now his life is too busy and that one day, when things slow down, he’ll start meditating. I tell him, “If you don’t have time to meditate even once a day, then you need to meditate twice a day.” I think I got that from Deepak Chopra. That’s a good one.
Even though you may never quell the monkey mind completely, just the mere fact that you are noticing the monkey mind is a really big step. And it truly does get better with time. I’m not saying I can sit for long periods of time without a single thought. I absolutely cannot do that! Some days, I’m happy if I can even get through one inhalation without a thought. How’s that for honesty? My brain is busy, busy, busy! But, that’s why I love meditating. It soothes my mind, my body, and my spirit. It’s good for me in so many countless ways. It overflows into my daily life and I am so much more productive, creative, happy, and peaceful than I ever was before I started practicing meditation.
Everyone can meditate. It doesn’t have to be done in Lotus Pose or sitting cross-legged on a hard floor. You can do it sitting on a chair or a couch or laying down; just try not to fall asleep. And if you do fall asleep, then you’re most likely in need of a little shuteye, so don’t beat yourself up about it. In fact, don’t beat yourself up about anything, okay? That’s just not helpful.
And when that monkey starts flinging himself from branch to branch, just notice what’s happening. Notice the thoughts running through your mind and say to yourself, “Oh, I’m thinking again. Come here, little thought. Sit down on this nice, fluffy, white cloud… There you go… Now float away…” And then get back to it again. That’s all there is to it. As always, we’re accepting ourselves wherever we are, just as we are, right now. No judgements, good or bad.
I truly believe that if everyone meditated, the world would be a better place. A friend of mine sent me a Facebook Message the other day and said she wished everyone had a yoga studio in their home. I totally agree. If only every home had a nice, quiet space for yoga, meditation, quiet contemplation; wouldn’t that be grand?
In the meantime, you don’t have to have a dedicated yoga/meditation room to practice meditation (or yoga, for that matter.) I practice meditation in my living room chair, most of the time. Sometimes, when the weather is nice, I’ll meditate while sitting comfortably on my front porch. In the early mornings, I like to stand outside and do a Qigong standing meditation, gazing quietly out at the trees in our yard. I also always, always include some meditation during my yoga practice; sometimes at the beginning of practice, sometimes at the end during Savasana, and sometimes I meditate at the beginning and the end. My family doctor always said, “If one’s good, two’s better!”
Whatever your age, occupation, or state of mind; meditation can help you to be a happier, healthier, more creative, and more productive person. (Refer back to the above list to refresh your memory on the potential benefits in case you’ve forgotten already.) Happy people are contagious. This world needs an army of happy people right now, don’t you think?
In conclusion, I just want to say, monkeys are adorable. I have nothing against monkeys. No monkeys were hurt during the writing of this article. But if monkey mind is keeping you from meditating, then it’s time to kick that monkey to the curb. Well, not really. Just the idea. Kick the idea to the curb. Because everyone can meditate. Everyone should meditate. And I truly hope everyone will one day meditate.
Namaste.
Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.
– Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
I meditate because I have monkey mind. My monkey is crazy! I need a break from his non-stop swinging from branch to branch, tree to tree, forest to forest…
My brain is busy, busy, busy…
But, that’s why I love meditating. It soothes my mind, my body, and my spirit. It’s good for me in so many countless ways. It overflows into my daily life and I am so much more productive, creative, happy, and peaceful than I ever was before I started practicing meditation.
Instead of Monkey Mind, we have Penguin Thoughts. That’s thanks to you for the card you got me in 2015. It says, “Sometimes I wonder how you got to be so great, other times, I think about penguins.” So now when our mind wanders, (which is often) we tell each other we had a Penguin Thought.
I loved that card! Penguins… That’s me. 🙂