The endless activity of our thoughts imprisons us in our mind and holds us back from witnessing our true, inherent nature. Our repetitive thoughts also create inner stress and restlessness, and we can't relax into the present moment.
In this blog post, we will delve into the powerful process of calming our monkey mind and learn how we can find deep inner peace and freedom. We will also look at aspects that tend to trigger our unconscious thoughts.
Calming Our Monkey Mind
1: Resting in Inner Silence
Our ability to rest in inner silence strongly influences how we can manage our repetitive thoughts. When we cultivate inner tranquility, we build a strong foundation on which we can observe our thinking. Resting in inner silence also allows us to deal with stress and inner chaos constructively because we are less involved in our inner experience.
We can rest in inner silence by learning not to follow our unconscious thoughts and by guiding our awareness to our body. As soon as we are less identified with our thinking, we discover a space of inner silence and tranquility. For this process, we maximally benefit from exercises that allow us to calm down and connect us with our body. When we practice meditation, yoga, and other mindful exercises, we slow down the activity of our thoughts which enables us to handle our thinking constructively.
2: Raising Our Awareness
The level of our awareness determines if we get lost in our thoughts or if we can consciously deal with our thinking. When we raise our awareness, we become conscious and awake, and we stop being overwhelmed by our repetitive thoughts.
We can raise our awareness by being still and by resting inside our essence. We do this by coming back into the present moment and by ceasing to follow our unconscious thoughts. When we cultivate inner stillness, we awaken our presence which allows us to actively deal with our busy mind.
3: Cultivating Presence
The awakening of our presence is essential for managing our unconscious thoughts. This awakening is the natural outcome of resting in inner silence and raising our awareness. When we are present, we are no longer completely identified with our mind; we can exist independently of our thoughts. This point of reference allows us to be the witness of our inner experience — to observe our inner world.
When we continuously rest in inner silence and raise our awareness through this conscious way of living, we prepare the ground for a profound presence and inner wakefulness. This mindful approach allows us to no longer be reigned by our monkey mind and to discover deep inner peace and freedom.
Aspects that Tend to Trigger Our Monkey Mind
In order to continuously rest in inner silence and cultivate presence, we need to look at some aspects that tend to trigger our monkey mind. By understanding these triggers, we become conscious about certain mechanisms, and we get less distracted in our daily life.
Fear
Fear and other strong emotions (e.g. anger or frustration) strongly influence our overall well-being. These emotions activate our survival mechanisms which often triggers the dynamic of our thoughts. When we are under the impact of fear, we often act irrationally and our mind runs constantly.
In order to consciously deal with strong emotions like fear, anger, etc., we need to raise our awareness significantly and be aware of the heavy impact of these emotions. When we understand how fear triggers our restless thinking, we can much easier handle these influences.
Stress
Stress and inner restlessness massively trigger our monkey mind; these aspects speed up the activity of our thoughts. When we are under stress, our nervous system is under tension, which might create inner chaos and confusion.
Regular pauses and a healthy work-life balance can support us in regulating our stress and dealing with it constructively. Through this balance, we are more resilient and our mind is more relaxed and calm.
Overthinking
Another aspect that strongly enhances the activity of our thoughts is overthinking. When we overthink a certain situation or circumstance, we create inner distraction and restlessness. Overthinking also fosters inner confusion, and we can't relax into the present moment.
We can overcome our tendency to overthink by clearly observing our thinking and by letting go of our excessive thoughts. When we relax and untangle from the countless stories that run through our mind, we slow down the activity of our thoughts. This approach allows us to find solutions and inner clarity by calming our mind.
Final Words
Calming our monkey mind and integrating this inner calm into every aspect of our daily life takes time. During this process, we learn to consciously deal with different thoughts and situations, and we overcome the restlessness of our mind. When we are able to rest in inner stillness and allow this inner stillness to permeate every aspect of our daily routine, we realize presence in daily life. This presence enables us to witness our thoughts, emotions, and body sensations and allows us to rest deeply inside our essence.
If you want to learn more about the process of awakening presence and our awakening as a whole, I highly recommend my book "Awaken Your Inner Being". You can order the book here: https://mybook.to/AwakenYourInnerBeing
