Take Control of Your Thoughts

I am convinced that our life experience starts in our mind.

And I have many times experienced that in a difficult situation, when clarity is most needed, I feel helpless. Many say this is the ‘monkey mind’ controlling us. When in the ‘monkey state’ we are so identified with our thoughts and their corresponding emotions that we are unable to be fully aware of the unfolding drama. No longer remaining a witness – a state we may have developed through various practices – we are likely to miss the message of the drama, instead seeing ourselves as victims. Paradoxically we are creating our own pain.

At times I have felt like I was being chased down a dark and never-ending alleyway, feeling hopeless to notice that it is me doing the chasing. In this downward spiral it becomes difficult – sometimes even impossible – to take control of one’s thoughts.

Shift your state of consciousness as quickly as possible. 

Our conditioning and our beliefs hold us firmly in their grasp and dish out pain, devastation, anger, anxiety, fear… you name it! To limit our suffering we need to practice becoming aware of each thought the very moment it enters our consciousness. We may want to recognize that a situation of personal destruction (by our mind) is the sign of a shadow side of ours showing up. If this resonates with you, what can you do to get out of a negative loop?

3 actions to avoid getting caught in a downward spiral:

1. Visualize and place any unwanted thoughts in your hands. Holding your hands out in front of your chest, palms facing up – blow the thoughts away. Immediately replace the negative thoughts with empowering and joyful ones and try to sense the accompanying feelings. Doing this, I have felt myself transported to a more serene and calm space, which certainly helps.
2. Practice Kundalini breathing and movements. Check out the ‘Breath of Fire’. It is a powerful yet simple breathing technique, which instantly shifts your energy.
3. Use a mantra and recite this until your energy has shifted. HERE is an overview of various themes from Happiness and Freedom to Medicine Buddha Mantra. I am particularly drawn to Om Namah Shivaya” translates to “I bow to Shiva, the supreme deity of transformation who represents, the truest, highest self. Listen to the mantra HERE.

Keep trying in good times; your practice will be transformational in challenged times.

Having stated that our life experience starts in our mind, it makes sense that the key to less suffering and a more joyful life lies in the continuous practice to become aware of each and every thought that enters our consciousness. We may already know this but the challenge remains when facing a difficult and painful situation.

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Interested to read more? “Food for your Soul” is a column featuring short posts for moments of reflection to look at life from a different perspective (should you choose to!). Invest 3 minutes and allow your thoughts to ponder. Awareness creates choice.