Day 6 - Start Observing the Voices in Your Head - 30 Days Mindfulness Challenge
Yesterday's exercise was to notice your thoughts while in a conversation.
I hope you managed to bring some awareness on yourself while talking with different people. If you've found it difficult, keep praciticing, you'll notice improvements in no time.
Today's practice is inspired by the words of Eckhart Tolle:
"When someone goes to the doctor and says, “I hear a voice in my head,” he or she will most likely be sent to a psychiatrist. The fact is that, in a very similar way, virtually everyone hears a voice, or several voices, in their head all the time: the involuntary thought processes that you don’t realize you have the power to stop. Continuous monologues or dialogues."- Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now.
So let's jump right in:
Day 6 - Start Observing the Voices in Your Head While you Go about Your Day
If You did yesterday's exercise You already have a glimpse of how to notice your thoughts while in a conversation with someone.
Today, that Someone is You.
You are talking with yourself all the time.
And no, You are not crazy if You admit this. It just happens to all of us.
Our minds are constantly chatting, using different voices, depending on the situation we find ourselves in.
Observing these voices is the beginning of freedom.
How Not To Do This: Don't fall into the trap of juddging, commenting or joining in the conversation.
"I shouldn't have done this or that!"
"How could I have been so stupid?"
"Oh, man, I am late again, my boss is going to go crazy!"
So be aware and do NOT add anything to what You hear.
Just observe. You might discover a Mad House hidden in that tiny space between Your ears. That's O.K.
The endless chatter of our minds is actually like a disease that everyone takes as the normal situation.
The issue is that it is your mind using You, not You using Your mind.
And the purpose of this exercise is to help you free yourself form the incessant chatter so you'll be able to use your mind when and how you want to.
In time, with a lot of practice in the areas of meditation, conscious breathing and movement, you'll be able to use your mind to solve problems. And you'll not allow it to waste precious energy.
I know, from experience, this is an every day, every moment practice if you want to have results.
But for now, try it a couple of times today: notice what the voices in your head are talking about. That's it.
You might start laughing at a certain moment. That's a good sign. Laughter is a sign of sanity and detachment of the products of your mind.
Whatever arises, just observe it. No expectations, no judgment.
And I'll see you tomorrow, for day's 7 task.
Photo source Unsplash
I'm a psychologist, intuitive coach, blogger and vlogger. You can find me mainly on my blog at Being Raluca where I write about communication, relationships, listening and sexuality. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @raluca.
How can one be mindful of their conversation - ie one mindfully while multi tasking listening to the noise in their brain? Would this be the same as refocusing on the breath when distracted by thoughts and bringing the mind back to the breath? This exercise is a tad confusing.
Hi @countrygirl, thank you for the question. When I refer to observing your thoughts while you go about your day I mean to become aware of the dialogue that goes on in certain situations, not all the time. For example, when I did this exercise I noticed I had a few specific voices that would enter the scene of my mind in certain situations. One was the Victim-Poor-Me-Voice, another one was the Judgemental-It's all their fault-Voice, and another was the I'm-Not-Good-Enough-No-Matter-What-Voice. The idea is to become aware of these voices that use the same repertoire over and over and over again and that don't suport your evolution. By observing and recognising them it's easier to detach and not fall into the trap of repeating some broken patterns. That's the approach I had in mind for this exercise, I probably should have mentioned it in the post.
I understand that practice! lol....for some reason I thought you said to be aware of those inner conversations at the same time when listening to a person. After re reading your post I couldn't find that instruction. Don't know where my mind was....maybe I need to be more aware of what I am thinking while reading..... hahaha
I do practice mindfulness a lot. ... there is so much more than just meditation isn't there.
Thanks for taking the time to clarify.
:) Cool, happy it became clear for you. My pleasure, thanks for giving time to this topic.
Great advice and my favourite aspect of insight meditation. 😀 It's so strange to just sit with all that and allow it without judgement.