“You are not your thoughts.” My mind gasped when I heard that for the first time. I first thought, “What a relief.” This network of chattering words, from curious and caring to doubting and destructive, does not own me. My teachers in yoga and writing practice talk about the unstoppable monkey mind, the relief of recognizing it and distancing from it. We need our mind for putting socks on, grocery lists, driving directions, and deciding which job to take. With our mind, we grow our individual selves and we converse and connect with others. We find harmony and inner peace within ourselves when we learn our mind is a fine instrument and not our identity. When we create inner harmony through awareness, we resonate with others and with our outer world.
This is one short practice to ground yourself by stepping away from busy life and an overstimulating world. Experiment: lengthen sitting time, write for one or two pages, go outside and practice, practice with a partner. Do this after waking up to ground yourself for the day, or near bedtime to center yourself before sleep.
- Prepare.
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- Your goal is to be quiet, still, and aware.
- There is no right, no wrong. No good, no bad. No judgment at all.
- Tools: pen (fast-writing to keep your hand moving), paper (nothing special), and your mind (it’ll be there whether you want it or not).
- Find a comfortable place where you can be still and undisturbed for fifteen minutes.
- Sit. Breathe. 4 minutes.
- Sit with your head, neck, and upper body lined up yet relaxed. If you cannot physically sit, bring your body to the most lined up yet comfortable position.
- Close your eyes, or gaze slightly down and unfocused.
- Breathe deeply from your belly, not your upper chest. Breathe in and out through your nostrils, your chin down and tucked in, your jaw relaxed.
- Let your inhale and exhale happen, your breath lengthening and becoming even, smoothing out jerkiness or pauses between inhale and exhale.
- Let thoughts arise; your mind doesn’t stop. Watch them go by like cars on the street and you on the sidewalk observing. Focus on your breath as the thoughts go by. If you find yourself thinking, bring your awareness back to your inhale and exhale.
- Write. 9 minutes.
- Without a break, go from sitting into writing.
- Keep your hand moving on the paper no matter what. Let the words go onto the paper without editing, without spelling and punctuation worries, and without crossing out words and rewriting them. Don’t think, just write.
- Remember: there is no good and no bad, no right or no wrong.
- Sit. Breathe. 2 minutes.
- Bring your awareness back to the present moment after writing.
- Repeat the process from Step 2.
Now, go out into the world more grounded or go to sleep more settled. How long you sat, how often you got lost in thought, or what words you wrote isn’t important. Show up, watch, and let go to harmonize inside.
How soon will this work? Am I doing this correctly? Why am I doing this? Stay curious. Be gentle, have patience, and learn to watch your mind. For clarity and calm: sit, breathe, write.
Michelle Skally Doilney is a Yoga Alliance-certified teacher since 2003, practicing Himalayan Yoga since 1997, and a Feng Shui consultant in the BTB tradition since 2005. A full-on writer, teacher, photographer, and adventure traveler, her home base is Minnesota when not on walkabout. Michelle is focused and passionate about helping others find their individual and community voices and selves. Combining her corporate career, body/mind certifications, and personal experiences, she offers online and in-person classes, workshops, and consultations on writing practice, Feng Shui, travel, and life.
