Today’s guided mindfulness training practice explores the basic types of thought distractions that come and go into our meditation practices. Many times you’ll find yourself daydreaming, or stuck in a thought loop, or being distracted by a sensation arising from your senses. It can be easy to become mad with ourselves or disappointed with our inability to “clear our mind”. However, today we learn to set aside harsh self-criticism and begin to take the first steps to channeling our challenging thoughts and energy into a liberating and relaxing flow.
Thank you for all the positive and constructive feedback. I'll continue to strive to improve and make content that you enjoy, find useful in your life, like, and share with others.
Cheers,
Hank
CC Transcript Below
CC Transcript Below
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000
Learning to Identify Sabotaging Thoughts and Distractions: POD 7 Loops and Distractions
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,080
I can do anything, I can reach any goal today,
3
00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,090
I can do what I want,
4
00:00:14,090 --> 00:00:18,090
I can be what I want to be.
5
00:00:18,090 --> 00:00:22,090
Yesterday we talked about observing the cats
6
00:00:22,090 --> 00:00:26,040
and all those loops and thoughts that they are going
7
00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,050
flying through our mind.
8
00:00:28,050 --> 00:00:32,000
Today, we’re going to come off that Ridgeline,
9
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,050
instead of just observing the cats,
10
00:00:33,050 --> 00:00:36,000
we are going to work our way down a little bit
11
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000
and we are going to start naming those cats.
12
00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:45,050
Naming those loops and detractions, one at a time.
13
00:00:45,050 --> 00:00:49,050
Alright, so let's go and find our posture where we might be
14
00:00:49,050 --> 00:00:56,050
and let’s settle in.
15
00:00:56,050 --> 00:01:00,050
16
00:01:00,050 --> 00:01:02,060
Alright, let's start with finding our breath.
17
00:01:02,060 --> 00:01:06,060
Just take a nice deep breath in,
18
00:01:06,060 --> 00:01:12,010
exhale,
19
00:01:12,010 --> 00:01:16,010
another nice deep breath in,
20
00:01:16,010 --> 00:01:21,010
bringing our breath to that diaphragm feeling that belly rise up
21
00:01:21,010 --> 00:01:27,010
and exhale.
22
00:01:27,010 --> 00:01:29,020
Just give ourselves permission to say, hey,
23
00:01:29,020 --> 00:01:33,000
it’s time to turn the ON switch OFF.
24
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,000
Let go off everything, just bringing our thoughts
25
00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,000
and attention to our breath, bringing us back here now.
26
00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:45,000
Exhale
27
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,050
Nice deep breath in.
28
00:01:48,050 --> 00:01:52,000
Do a quick body scan which start with our toes,
29
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,000
just going to work up where you’re holding your tension?
30
00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:02,000
If you feel something is not quite right, make that small adjustment in your posture.
31
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,050
Just take a deep breath in;
32
00:02:05,050 --> 00:02:13,050
let’s send that exhale to that tension right now.
33
00:02:13,050 --> 00:02:19,000
Take a nice deep breath in.
34
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:26,000
exhale; send the breath to that tension.
35
00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:31,050
So our thoughts are loops that herd of cats,
36
00:02:31,050 --> 00:02:36,000
that are so distracting, so when we talk about mindfulness
37
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,050
settling this and settling that,
38
00:02:38,050 --> 00:02:42,050
no, we’re not looking to settle, we’re to looking to make our mind a blank slate
39
00:02:42,050 --> 00:02:46,050
where we’re much too creative and intelligent beings
40
00:02:46,050 --> 00:02:50,000
to I just go to a black blank slate in my opinion
41
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,000
and it's not so much you know about
42
00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,050
shutting that energy down just I’ve got a rambunctious little 3 year old boy,
43
00:02:58,050 --> 00:03:01,050
it's not about shutting that energy down,
44
00:03:01,050 --> 00:03:05,050
it's about channeling it and finding the outlets
45
00:03:05,050 --> 00:03:09,000
that energy and creativity can be put to a
46
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,050
maybe more positive use than driving me crazy
47
00:03:13,050 --> 00:03:16,000
when I'm trying to get work done, right?
48
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,030
So what we're going to do today is just simply observe what's going on
49
00:03:20,030 --> 00:03:23,080
with those cats or those mental loops.
50
00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:29,030
And we’re just going to name them and we're not going to name on Bob, Harry, Jim though,
51
00:03:29,030 --> 00:03:30,080
if you want, that's what you can do,
52
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,020
but we're going to recognize and maybe in better way instead of saying naming
53
00:03:34,020 --> 00:03:39,065
we're just going to categorize the types of loops and things that we've got going on today. Alright.
54
00:03:39,065 --> 00:03:43,065
So just take a nice deep breath in.
55
00:03:43,065 --> 00:03:50,000
So just take a nice deep breath in.
56
00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,000
Right now I just bring your focus to your breath as I kind of go over what these
57
00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,000
three loops are or these three categories are.
58
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,050
So one is kind of fantasy, you know,
59
00:04:01,050 --> 00:04:05,050
when you're trying to come to your breath and allow everything to settle and relax,
60
00:04:05,050 --> 00:04:09,050
you're going to identify the thoughts and ideas
61
00:04:09,050 --> 00:04:13,050
that are really about fantasy of future distractions.
62
00:04:13,050 --> 00:04:17,050
You know things like what's going on on Facebook and
63
00:04:17,050 --> 00:04:22,050
I need to check my ESPN updates or want to flip through a magazine,
64
00:04:22,050 --> 00:04:26,050
you know, all of these little sort of mental distractions
65
00:04:26,050 --> 00:04:30,000
and impulses that are all about, say,
66
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,000
future activities that we may or may not do
67
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:39,020
and they're just there distracting and saying,
68
00:04:39,020 --> 00:04:42,020
hey let's go somewhere else, let's go somewhere else, let's stimulate, stimulate, stimulate
69
00:04:42,020 --> 00:04:50,020
because where am I right now is where we're stimulating. So let's go.
70
00:04:50,020 --> 00:04:54,040
Another form of distraction or loop, it’s really loops,
71
00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,040
you know, that thought that, that story
72
00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:03,000
that were playing over and over and over again in our mind and we’re just there.
73
00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,000
So since we take that deep breath in, we exhale,
74
00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,050
our mind goes somewhere and it just start telling us a story.
75
00:05:09,050 --> 00:05:14,000
It might be telling a negative story, I'm no good, I'm no good, I can't believe I did that,
76
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:18,000
I can't believe I did that, I should have done this, I should have done this, we just sit there and
77
00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,050
just iterate on that negative loop over and over.
78
00:05:21,050 --> 00:05:26,000
But ultimate do were distraction or maybe it’s something else,
79
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,000
and that's okay.
80
00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,000
When we get these loops and we start playing, sometimes they’re neutral,
81
00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,050
you know we’re just thinking about something mundane,
82
00:05:36,050 --> 00:05:38,070
sometimes are real destructive.
83
00:05:38,070 --> 00:05:46,000
So we just see those and we name it. Oh, I'm looping.
84
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,000
The other form of awareness is
85
00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,050
to be aware of the senses that are distract us.
86
00:05:54,050 --> 00:05:58,050
Say, a touch. You know do I feel that?
87
00:05:58,050 --> 00:06:05,000
I'm being distracted by the way my pants are fitting today,
88
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,000
my shirts a little riding up, maybe there's a smell
89
00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,050
where I’m in that's distracting me.
90
00:06:12,050 --> 00:06:16,050
If I’m sitting here with my eyes open and being visually just harassed
91
00:06:16,050 --> 00:06:23,000
and focused on something other than my breath.
92
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,050
Maybe I'm hearing something in the background
93
00:06:27,050 --> 00:06:31,050
that’s drawn me away.
94
00:06:31,050 --> 00:06:35,050
Again, all of these things we’re not looking to judge them and say this is right or wrong
95
00:06:35,050 --> 00:06:39,050
or getting mad or frustrated and we just want to simply be aware
96
00:06:39,050 --> 00:06:44,000
of what's going on, because in later practices,
97
00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,080
we're going to get very good at is, as we recognize,
98
00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:51,080
when we're going to recognize them for what they are - a temporary distraction.
99
00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:56,080
So we’re going to take a nice deep breath, exhale
100
00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:00,080
and come back.
101
00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,080
So we can take the next couple of minutes and observe
102
00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:08,080
and do some categorizing or labeling
103
00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:15,080
of the thoughts and loops through head.
104
00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,050
105
00:07:17,050 --> 00:07:22,050
Take a deep breath in.
106
00:07:22,050 --> 00:07:26,050
So are you looping?
107
00:07:26,050 --> 00:07:30,050
Maybe fantasizing?
108
00:07:30,050 --> 00:07:34,050
Or you’re hyperaware of some sense?
109
00:07:34,050 --> 00:07:38,050
110
00:07:38,050 --> 00:07:42,050
111
00:07:42,050 --> 00:07:46,050
Again, we're not judging, we’re was just simply observing
112
00:07:46,050 --> 00:07:50,050
and recognizing all the different types of distractions
113
00:07:50,050 --> 00:07:54,050
and activity may not even all the three categories
114
00:07:54,050 --> 00:08:02,050
of distractions and activities that can go on.
115
00:08:02,050 --> 00:08:06,050
116
00:08:06,050 --> 00:08:10,050
117
00:08:10,050 --> 00:08:14,050
118
00:08:14,050 --> 00:08:18,050
119
00:08:18,050 --> 00:08:22,050
120
00:08:22,050 --> 00:08:26,050
Alright just take a nice deep breath in,
121
00:08:26,050 --> 00:08:30,050
exhale.
122
00:08:30,050 --> 00:08:34,050
Just come back to our breath for a couple of rounds here.
123
00:08:34,050 --> 00:08:38,050
With each exhale, I want you just let whatever thought or loop
124
00:08:38,050 --> 00:08:43,000
or distraction go and just put all the focus on that breath and exhalation.
125
00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,050
Deep breath in,
126
00:08:46,050 --> 00:08:54,000
and exhale.
127
00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,050
128
00:08:55,050 --> 00:08:59,050
I help you gain a little insight, begin to see the value
129
00:08:59,050 --> 00:09:04,000
of tools that we will be developing,
130
00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:08,050
the skills that will be developing and the ones that you've already created over the last couple of days
131
00:09:08,050 --> 00:09:11,000
and how much easier you're getting into your posture,
132
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:15,000
how much easier you're settling into your breath now,
133
00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,050
it’s just all building.
134
00:09:17,050 --> 00:09:21,050
We're creating and working on new skills and building them a little bit, little bit each day,
135
00:09:21,050 --> 00:09:28,050
to pretty soon they're your own and they’re automatic.
136
00:09:28,050 --> 00:09:32,000
Hope you’ve enjoyed your practice today;
137
00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,050
found a valuable in some form or fashion.
138
00:09:35,050 --> 00:09:39,000
Maybe it wasn't, maybe it wasn't fun, maybe it was just work.
139
00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:46,000
That's okay. Sometimes learning the skills on that piano or just work.
140
00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:49,050
Until tomorrow,
141
00:09:49,050 --> 00:09:59,090
Namaste.
142
00:09:59,090 --> 00:10:03,090
Leave a Reply