Yoga and a Distracted Mind

Sand sculptures in Fort Myers 2011

In a fog?

I have so much on my mind, I find myself in a fog.

Some yogis call it Monkey Mind, Clutter or Chatter.  Everyone has a mind that is distracted.  Our minds wander from the here and now to other places 30 to 65 percent of the time.  Our mind is constantly thinking of the future, the past and at times even the present.  You can learn to stay present in your mind and body through yoga.  Start with moments and gradually increase to brief moments.

There is a wonderful book called, Essentials of Yoga Practice and Philosophy, put out by Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm.  This book is a summary of the core teachings of the two Masters, Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnu-devananda.
According to this book, Yoga helps us to see things more clearly, by controlling the mind.  If we are angry we find reasons to be angry. (that could be as simple as a piece of burnt toast)  If we are depressed we look at life that way.  By learning how the mind works, you can then recognize your own mind.  Take a look at these examples of the mind and how it functions and use it to clear your mind, become focused and see that you have the power over your own thoughts.
This book covers twelve different analogies to help understand the mechanics of the mind.  I will give you three, giving you a taste of what this is all about.

The first one that many of us can relate to is the drunken monkey mind.  This is the sort of mind that is restless and jumpy.  Everyone has a mind that wanders.  Multi-tasking is one of the things that some of us take pride in.  However, when you are multi-tasking or jumping from one activity to another you are not putting your full attention in the present moment.  You miss the details.  Your thoughts become random and a bit disorderly with little focus.  So, stay present and do one thing at a time with attention. 

The second, imagine your mind is like an old 45 record.  Ahh, the young kids are saying right about now..."a what"?  Anyway, it has 'grooves and habits'.  Your mind thinks back to old habits and previous experiences.  Remember when that record would get scratched.  What would happen?...the lyric would repeat and repeat and get stuck.  We need to lift that handle at times, move it ahead and move to the next groove where it is positive with no scratches.

Thirdly, I would like to introduce the mind that is related to the body.  In yoga when we ask you to straighten your spine, you are actually straightening your mind as well.  The actual poses help to clear and focus your mind.  Simply align your shoulders over your hips, ears over your shoulders and lengthen up, to strengthen and straighten your mind.
Yoga and meditation combined helps to move us forward in clearing the mind and staying focused so that we can control our own minds.  One way yoga helps is that it slows the body down, allowing it to fully capture and understand your thoughts are only thoughts.  You have control. 

Did your mind wander?  Where you able to bring it back?
Practice mindfulness, and stay present.  Enjoy life.

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Janine is a yoga instructor and Life Coach practicing from her home studio. She invites students to her studio for one on one personal sessions, as well as traveling to the home for small groups. She leads educational coaching series along with personal one on one life coaching using the Co-Active Coaching techniques. You can reach her at 207-251-9577