Mind Full or Mindful?

What do you see? The blots or the white background?

The mind has been a repeating theme lately. Here’s some mind – based, mind - blowing information:  

• It’s estimated we have between 25,000-80,000 thoughts a day,
• Up to 98% of those thoughts are repeated every day,
• In the region of 80% of thoughts are negative (imagine them like ink blots on a white background),
• Negative thinking impacts on our health - we become ill more often, feel stressed, helpless and hopeless, and our brains reduce the chemicals that help us feel happy.

Over time, because we tend to focus on the repeated and negative thoughts, creating more and more blots, we can no longer see the white background – we’ve got a head full of “stuff”. 

Yoga's roots are geared to increase the mind’s ability to focus. This funnels our many thoughts to specifics related to body or breath, co-ordination or rest, over time shifting the mind’s patterns. When our mind's patterns and focus improves we become calmer, more productive, have a better outlook, feel less overwhelmed, sleep better – shall I go on?!

Be clear, the thoughts may still happen, but, with consistent, regular practice (see my January blog for more on that) we can teach the mind new habits.

Here’s another mind-blowing piece of information:

• It takes, on average, 66 days for a habit to form – hence where the consistent, repeated practice is needed to shift from Mind Full to Mindful.

Want something to try?

• Next time you notice your mind is whirring, settle the gaze on one thing, anything. Notice its shape, colours, then gaze beyond or through it. The eyes will want to dart around, keep them steady, the mind will want to argue, keep it attentive to what your eyes are fixed on.  After a while you might close your eyes, but keep the image in the mind for a while. Let go of the image after a while and enjoy seeing the white background instead of the ink blots!

Read more about focusing the mind: 
www.verywellmind.com/things-you-can-do-to-improve-your-mental-focus-4115389
tinybuddha.com/blog/10-ways-cultivate-positive-mindset-change-life/