In the spirit of Amy’s blog, "Chattering Mind," I found this helpful article at dailyom.com on quieting the monkey mind.
It's been called the monkey mind - the endless chattering in your head as you jump in your mind from thought to thought while you daydream, analyze your relationships, or worry over the future. Eventually, you start to feel like your thoughts are spinning in circles and you're left totally confused.One way to tame this wild creature in your head is through meditation - although the paradox is that when you clear your mind for meditation you actually invite the monkey in your mind to play. This is when you are given the opportunity to tame this mental beast by moving beyond thought - to become aware of a thought rather than thinking a thought. The difference is subtle, but significant. When you are aware of your thoughts, you can let your thoughts rise and float away without letting them pull you in different directions. Being able to concentrate is one of the tools that allows you to slow down your thought process and focus on observing your thoughts.
To develop your concentration, you may want to start by focusing on the breath while you meditate. Whenever your monkey mind starts acting up, observe your thoughts and then return your focus to your breath. Some breathing meditations call on you to focus on the rise and fall of the breath through the abdomen, while others have you concentrate on the sound of the breath. Fire can also be mesmerizing, and focusing on a candle flame is another useful tool for harnessing the mind. Keep the gaze soft and unfocused while observing the color, shape, and movement of the flame, and try not to blink. Close your eyes when you feel the need and continue watching the flame in your head. Chanting, devotional singing, and mantras also still the mind. However you choose to tame the monkey mind, do so with firm kindness. The next time the chattering arises, notice it and then allow it to go away. With practice, your monkey mind will become quiet and so will you.
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My form of meditation is when I sometimes attend weekday Mass. It takes my mind off myself and I focus on the Liturgy of the Word and Eucharist, and am united in body and spirit with the whole Church. It just feels right for me.
By the way, if you are Catholic (or not), grew up with nuns for teachers (or not), andwant to read a great little book with some practical words of wisdom (some of which blew me away coming from a nun) try "Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality" by Raymond Arroyo. I have also read her biography by him, and she is some sweet Italian lady with a tell it like it is manner. It seems that her suffering has been mostly physical and she has her own way of handling it. Not sure how she feels about depression, but it certainly added to my faith bank.
Thanks, Therese, for letting us share in our own way.
Sometimes the monkey is just rattling his little tin cup and is easy enough to ignore. Other times he's climbing the Empire State building. I am still my own worst critic but the little voice in my head is my mother. She is one those gifted individuals who seem to find the worm in every apple. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say she gifted me me with her OCD tendencies and depression. If I can still that voice before I don a housedress, grey wig, and start stabbing people in the shower, I'll be doing really well! Thank God my Dad has two oars in the water most of the time. Me,...I end up going in circles a lot, gee I don't know?
Margaret, I can relate so often to you. Thanks for posting.
One important thing for me in quieting the zoo called my mind is avoid any mood-altering drugs: cafeine, nicotine, pot and booze. They seem to take control of the mind and eventually increases the zoo within!
here are a few techniques I've used if the thoughts are flying around my mind like mad:
imagine the thoughts as bits of confetti floating down
imagine the thoughts as items on a news ticker- don't judge them or ponder them, just see them fly by.
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