I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and my parents made it a priority to get outside often, move our bodies, and enjoy the wilderness. It’s no wonder that nature is one of my important teachers in life. Just taking a moment to look outside my window to connect with the trees or step outside and feel all my senses stimulated is enough to calm my mind. Nourishing Mother Nature. I know this isn’t true for everyone, but it definitely is for me. 

NOTICING NATURE

I remember this one day in early spring, I was walking along a bike path in Eagle, Colorado, my mind ruminating a bit on something. Feeling some stress in my body, I decided to go on the walk to clear my head. I started to slow my breath down and just look around. 

Then, I noticed some green grass starting to grow on the side of the trail. It hit me. That grass is just doing what it’s meant to do – grow. 

It’s not wondering if it’s the right time of year to grow, is it growing ‘right’, what the other blades of grass are thinking about it or if it’s good enough. It just grows, following its purpose, no questions asked. 

PURPOSE OF BEING HUMAN

As humans, we are, of course, much more complex but we too have our purpose whether we are connected to it or not. There are both our natural tendencies (svabhava) and our purpose through our roles in life (dharma). With all the input we get every day, our conditioning since birth, and all the ‘to dos, it’s easy to lose sight of ourselves.

We are blessed as humans to have a mind that allows for creativity, curiosity, and connection.

For a lot of us, our mind can also be our own worst enemy. It comes in the form of reactions and impulses that easily take over if we aren’t versed in self-awareness. You’ve probably heard the term ‘monkey mind’ and this is exactly what the mind becomes if it’s not taught otherwise. The mind jumps from here to there, making up stories and assumptions that send our whole bodies through a reaction loop.

Have you noticed this?

FINDING CONTROL

The amazing thing, though, is we can go beyond our reactions and impulses because of our human mind. If trained, it can be a powerful tool in discernment and conscious choice. It is possible to become in control of your mind instead of letting your mind control you.

Many people I have worked with have been taught that their thoughts and emotions are part of who they are, part of personality. The personality is assumed to be set, not something that can be changed. 

From a Yoga point of view, everything that is impermanent or fluctuates, is actually not the essence of ‘who I am.’ ‘Who I am’ is permanent and doesn’t change. Thoughts and emotions are constantly changing so even if they are a part of personality, they can change. And every human has the capacity to learn how to change their mind state and attitude.

Take a moment to reflect on this: What part of you doesn’t change?

I know, for me at this point in my life, I haven’t found a part of what I’ve thought is ‘me’ that doesn’t change. I’m still exploring like an archeologist to find that Self that never changes that I’ve been reading about for years.

PEACE OF MIND COMES FROM WITHIN

Why do I even bring this up?

If you are someone who is wanting to have more peace in life, wanting to change behaviors, and wanting to live a more fulfilling life, it starts with you.

I haven’t met anyone yet who’s exercised, made money, traveled the world, won numerous accolades that has found lasting peace of mind based on doing these external endeavors. I know I’ve tried a number of them and none of them gave me lasting peace of mind.

What has given me longer lasting peace of mind is going inward – time with myself. The more I do this, the more I understand myself and the more I become the life I want. This is a key part of the Yogic understanding. We already are what we want. We are just really attached to other thoughts and beliefs that keep us from knowing ourselves.

Even something as simple as an excuse is a form of this misunderstanding. I can go to bed with strong clarity that I will get up in the morning and do my Yoga asana and meditation in the morning. Then morning comes, the bed is warm and it’s dark out. The thought, “Oh, I can sleep a little longer” comes and clouds over the clear voice that tells me it’s time to get up and do my practice.

It’s as simple as that…the mind can be distracted and on a decent down the worm hole before the day has really started. 

With years of practice, I now have the fortitude to ignore that excuse, naming it as false, and get myself up. Without practicing self-awareness, I would be helpless against that excuse and just stay in bed.

How does one practice going beyond the excuses?

SLOWING DOWN THE MIND

You must start to slow down that monkey mind and begin to notice your reactions, thoughts, and emotions. And, no, it’s not easy. It takes practice. And there’s no magic pill to make the mind do it for you. But, doing it has powerful, lasting effects on the mind. And once you get it, you’ll always have it available to you.

Take some to think about what are some things that you already know that help to slow down your mind.

I make it a point to spend time outside because nature helps me to slow down and be present. In that state, I am able to see and understand things in a different light. This is how nature is one of my important teachers. Doing my morning practice also helps me do this, as does taking time to pause and breathe.

It is important to find the actions that help slow down your mind so that you can find yourself underneath all the ‘to dos’ and ‘have tos’ of daily life. This is where peace of mind lives. This is where the higher level functioning of the mind lives. It is where our authentic self is accessed

Once you are aware of a few things that already help you slow down, make sure you start to do them every day. Create a life that incorporates these actions and see what happens to your mind.

And remember, a guru comes in many forms and can show up any time in our daily life if we are aware and paying attention.

Shanti.