How to control your monkey mind while on the run

How to control your monkey-mind while on the run

The greatest gift of the human species is the ability to think about our thinking. We can direct our attention and decide what to focus on. The choice is ours. Either we let other people needs and the buzz of the world to pull our attention away or we decide how we want to direct it.

Don’t let your attention be fragmented, by switching from one thought to the other. Control your monkey mind with the following meditation guide.

Human physiology tells us that one of the main functions of the Central Nervous System is to make our bodies move. When we are physically active we send signals to our brain which is more alert and focused. That’s why this meditation is designed to be followed while you are walking or running. It will take you no more than ten minutes, so it can fit in anyone’s daily routine and it makes something you can stick to. For me, this is important, because being a medical trainee with quite a busy life if it wasn’t something I could do quickly, then I didn’t want to do it. But please feel free to take your time and do it for longer and more often if you want to.

Before we start, I just want to give you a quick reminder.

Remember that mindfulness is not something you do once in a while. It is a habit. It is a way of life. And like anything else in life, even the ability to concentrate and let go of all thoughts takes practice. It is in fact, made up of tiny actions practiced consistently.

As Dandapani, a Hindu monk said “the art of concentration and mindfulness is keeping your awareness on one thing for an extended period of time. Don’t expect to be more aware if you only practice mindfulness and focus for a short period in a day and then you are constantly distracted for the rest of the day. Your brain simply doesn’t work like that. If you practice distraction all day, every day, you become experts at distraction.”

Instead, you have to practice mindfulness in whatever you do. Practice this by doing one thing at a time. Be here now. Be more peaceful with yourself.

Let’s start! Ideally try this in a park or somewhere near some trees, since they give us fresh oxygen for the brain and for all the cells of the body.

We will begin from a standing position. Stand on your tiptoes and try to reach for the sky with your stretched arms and fingers. Then relax again on your heel. Practice this movement three times. Do it slowly. While your body is kindly stretched, welcome in the feeling of intentional relaxation. Be aware of your breathing, as the air goes in through your nostrils and then out of your nostrils. Don’t try to manipulate it. But you will notice that just by being aware of it, you will soften your breathing.

Walking is one of the most common experiences in our lives. We just subconsciously know how to do it. We don’t need to think about all the complex movements that are involved. Lest about the magnificently complex neurological pathways that make it possible.

Be aware of the space you are in. Whatever place you are in be aware of the surroundings. Be grateful for being in that place.

Notice the trees around you. Notice how the soft breeze moves their leaves in tiny and almost imperceptible movements. Breathe in as profoundly as you can and push your belly out. Fill your lungs with fresh air. Hold it for four seconds before letting it out slowly in a five-second time.

Your mind will wander. It will seem like a monkey is jumping in your head. When you become aware of it, bring your focus back to your breathing. Leave all judgments aside. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t keep your mind from jumping from one thought to the other. It’s normal at the beginning. Be aware of you having these thoughts and then let them go. Ok, now we are going to start walking.

Notice the comfort of your shoes. Be aware of the squishy sound they make on the pavement. Try to be aware of all the complex movements your body is making so fluidly and with no effort on your part. Be thankful for this amazing masterpiece of nature. Be appreciative of your millions of neurons constantly firing action potential at such speed down your spine, allowing you to move.

Feel healthier. Allow the legs of your thighs to contract. Exaggerate your movements and feel the muscles contracting and relaxing. Put your body weight on the balls of the feet and push yourself forward engaging your calf muscles.

As you relax the stress that was building up in your body, let any thought you may have scan by, like the passing clouds over your head. Don’t hold on them, don’t think about them, leave aside your need to judge them. Let them go as they are and relax even deeper.

Feel the weight of your arms as they accompany you in synchrony with the movements of your legs. Soften the palms of your hand, relax the muscles of your face. All too often they remain contracted for too long, unnecessarily. Allow your self to open in a smile and thank yourself for taking care of your physical and mental well-being.

Allow the space around your eyes to soften. Focus on your surroundings and be grateful for being able to see. Be grateful for having the ability to hear and to smell. Focus on one of the sounds around you.

Say thanks to the universe for being able to move. Feel a warm wave of relaxation that glides from the tip of your head to your shoulders, down to your arms, your abdomen, your pelvis, slowly spreading over your legs and reaching the tip and the soles of your feet.

As each breath moves in and out of your body, allow it to carry away with it any residue of thought.

Feel connected with the universe and its energy. You need nothing else to be complete. Let your body move with its own pace and rhythm. Let all thoughts, stress, memories, and anxieties about the future fade away. Just be aware of being aware. This is who you really are. Rest in existence.

Do it for a minute or so and before finishing this meditation feel all that is going on in your body, without judging.

Let’s finish this session with a fifteen-second stretching period. Again, as you have done at the beginning of the session, put your weight on your tiptoes and try to reach for the sky with your stretched arms and fingers. In the meanwhile, focus on your breathing.

I hope you are feeling refreshed and energized

Lots of love!