What To Do About Monkey Mind?
How many times have you hopped on your mat, started to ‘settle in’ and then, without warning, your brain takes off in a million directions? I’ve heard it called monkey mind before, and I like to think of it like that. All my thoughts, just swinging around, like monkeys playing in the trees. Once the thoughts start swirling, the negative self-talk starts, the “Ugh, stop thinking about that shit–it’s time for yoga” thoughts, the “Why do I suck at this ‘tuning in’ thing?” thoughts. Here’s the thing though, everyone has moments like this, and it doesn’t make you bad at yoga. It makes you human.
A few helpful tips for controlling your Monkeys:
Talk to your Monkey Mind (Are you anxious? Remind yourself that everything will be fine. Are you trying to remind yourself of something? Acknowledge it, make a note and then let it go. Are you festering about something in the past? Realize you need to deal with something and let that go).
Recite a Mantra–find a mantra that calms you. It will attract your attention which is usually scattered and center it on one thing.
Take 6 deep breaths. That’s what it takes to calm your body, which will help calm your mind.
Yoga and meditation are not about getting your mind to be devoid of thoughts; they’re about stilling your mind by acknowledging where you are and starting to gently redirect your negative thoughts to more positive ones.
So, next time you roll out your mat and your monkey mind starts acting up, realize that this is where you are right now–and you know what, that’s ok!–Give yourself some space to let the mind chatter start to shift & settle. Any time throughout your practice when your mind starts to wander, acknowledge it’s happening and bring your attention back to your breath. The focus on the breath allows us to slow down and create space for your mind to settle, that’s the space where the magic happens.