“I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the monkey mind. The thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit and howl. My mind swings wildly through time, touching on dozens of ideas a minute, unharnessed and undisciplined.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
I was feeling optimistic. I haven’t managed to do any actual meditating yesterday, but I did reach out to my brain, and brokered a sort of “peace treaty” between us. It was a reframing of sorts: instead of me struggling against my constantly thinking brain, now it could me and my hard working and unappreciated brain learning something new and challenging together. It felt right. And the flood of emotions I felt yesterday, suggested that this was an inner “peace overture” that I was long lacking.
20 minutes on the timer and I was ready to try my 2nd meditation. I started by saying hi to my brain, and thanking it for all the hard work and creativity it’s been doing thus far. And that I had full confidence in my brains ability to learn and master this new and challenging mode of operation: experiencing without commentary. Immediately, I felt a flood of warm feelings, and some lightness. Who ever I was talking to was getting the message, and it was well received. So now I was finally free to start experiencing.
Breathing in. Breathing out. Breathing in. Breathing out. Should we harvest our basil plants before it gets colder? Ignore. Breathing in. Breathing out. Should I wear perfume at work? Do I stink? Ignore. Breathing in. Breathing out. Does anyone else think that Anna Karenina is super annoying? Is the world secretly full of Annas? Ignore. Breathing in. Breathing out. If I had super powers I could do something about climate change, or at least help terraform and colonize mars as a backup for humanity. Ignore. Breathing in. Breathing out.
I kept on breathing and tried watching the “action” in my head from the side. Idea, fear, day dream, worry, sexy thought, concern, hunger craving… Someone kept changing the channel in the back of my head, and my consciousness kept giving a glance to each new show. Yep, that’s the monkey mind. So what do I do about it? How does one make a peace treaty with a monkey? Do I offer it mental bananas? Can I teach my monkey to sit still and experience without moving? Is there such a thing as a meditating monkey? Well… there are those snow monkeys in Japan that like soaking in hot springs. And they look like they are having fun: both still and content. Could I get my monkey to be more like that? I guess lets try it…
Hey monkey! Yeah you. I see you jumping. That’s cool. Jumping is fun. I get it. You are my curiosity and quick thinking. That all good stuff. And you are great at it. But I have vision for you. Its snowing. There is snow all around. Crisp but oh so so cold. But there is a hot springs here. Gently steaming, and full of monkeys. And me. I am sitting in the hot spring surrounded by other, chiller monkeys. Snow gently falling on our heads, but we are warm and cozy in the water. Hey monkey… come sit by me. If only for a minute. No commitment. You can go back to jumping later. But the water is so nice, and the snow so cold. Come lean against me, let me feel your fur against my back. And surprise! Here is a mental banana. Hot springs and bananas?!? That’s monkey heaven right here… Come sit down, enjoy the hot water and the banana, and then you are free to go.
So it did. I felt its pressure against my back. And I sat in the hot water, breathing in and out, watching the steam rise, feeling cold snow falling on my face, listening to the content sighs of the other monkeys, and I imagined tasting bananas. Breathing in. Breathing out. Steam. Snow. Monkey sighs. Bananas. Breathing in. Breathing out. I need to go to Japan and see those monkeys. Also try real sushi. Breathing in. Breathing out. Steam. Snow. Monkey sighs. Bananas. Alarm! My 20 minutes are up.
