Quieting the Monkey Mind

I am very good at wasting time, but I am horrible at "doing nothing". Big difference.


This morning I found myself at a combined 3 hour yoga class.  Now for some of you, this may be a normal occurence in your life.  Not for yours truly.  I find that I make excuses to not carve out that essential time for myself.  Truth be told, I really enjoy my day to day, and it's not until I do something like this that I realize how much I really needed it.

So I looked forward to this morning and the Yin Yoga with Great Expectations.

Yin Yoga practice involves holding poses for a longer time, and going within the mind.  My dear friend Julie quipped that this is very challenging, and the first time that she did it, Yin kinda drove her nuts.  (Julie is a wonderful yoga teacher.)

My mind has a tendency to drive me nuts because I have not taken the proper time to train it to BE QUIET!

So, for this post, I thought I would share with you a direct transcript of my mind during Yin Yoga:

that is so cool that i am here...tony really should get his brakes fixed on his car.  i can't believe that he drives that....oh!...listening...listening...she really explains things beautifully! this is fun this is fun this is fun...downward dog...ouch!  why does my left calf hurt?  maybe because i haven't run since i got sick-shoot i forgot to take my probiotic this morning!  okay, holding a pose...count like a zen master 1 in, 2 out three in, four...i am hungry!  good thing i had coffee though...what am i doing shhhhh!! okay, 1 in, 2 out, 3 in...switch legs!  on it...1 in, 2 out, 3 in...my feet are kinda cold...can't really put socks on right now...I can't forget to give Julie her daughter's socks back...oh this stretch feels really good!  man,.these yoga pants are lint magnets STOP!! okay, 1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...this feels so good....i should do this like, 3 times a week!  yeah right Jessica, how is that going to work?  you work like 4 nights a week...do i work next wednesday?  STOP!  1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...downward dog...blossoming butt!  ha...that's funny...k, moving...to the next...pose...ahhhh....1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...i want some of that chocolate in the other room...5 in....6 out...I wonder what we are going to do tonight?  7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out...ssshhhhhhhh...1 in...2 out...Dominic is reading at church tomorrow!  I have to print that..SSSSHHHHHHHH! okay...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out...this is good...1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out....................okay...letting go into the pose......1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out....................i am doing it!  shoot, I just blew it by doing that...1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out....................aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out....................1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out....................1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out....................1 in...2 out...3 in...4 out...5 in....6 out...7 in...8 out...9 in...10 out....................
........bliss..........
namaste...
i hope you all get a chance to "quiet your monkey mind" today.
Thanks Julie :)