Taking Out The Trash

One of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that it will clear your mind of any thoughts and negative memories and become completely empty and pure. Meditation is amazing at reshaping our minds and helping us to develop a deeper self-understanding but it won't help you clear your mind. Trying to stop a churning supercomputer that is consuming and computing 4oo billion bits of information every second, whether you are asleep or not. is like trying to stop an avalanche or a freight train by waving your hands in the air. Your best bet is to step aside … Ages 12+ If you haven't ever stopped to really unbiasedly listen to your own head you might want to have a little listen now. Take a few moments and shut your eyes, listen to your breathing and try to think of nothing... If you were able to sustain a state of no mind for more than a minute then you are pretty adept at mind control already, if not then you may sense that you are harbouring a turbulent, obsessive, pessimistic, potentially narcissistic, anxious, emotionally unstable, argumentative, incessant and demeaning counterpart in your skull. Coming to realise that this is what is going on under your bonnet all day is pretty upsetting for most  - but not realising it is there is possibly even worse. This surging, shifting and turbulent mass of thought, memories, images, music, nonsense and judgements is your subconscious mind. A temporal garbage tip for everything that you have experienced past, present and future. It is the first thing you come into contact with when you begin to meditate and the confrontation of the minds surging fury can be overwhelming.

Do Not Try To Reason With Your Own Mind.

Your mind is a fascinating and powerful tool and observing it, training and guiding it to revelation can be an amazing thing, but trying to reason with it, organise it, ask it's opinion or clean it up is like waking a sleeping giant. Take the advice of Sadguru, New York Times best-selling author, certified Indian mystic, founder of  the Isha Foundation and recipient of the Padma Vibhushan Civilian Award by the Government of India for his contribution toward human advancement, "Shut the lid and walk away"... Sadguru references the mind as a garbage bin, something that is very useful for keeping garbage in but not to sleep in. Sadguru explains that the content of your mind is not under your control and trying to empty it will only result in you swimming in your own putrid stew. Like many masters of the mind he describes meditation as a tool in the development of self - awareness and the more aware you are the greater distance you will create between yourself and your mind. "The content of your mind will still be there but you won't be affected by it". Sadguru explains that purity is not having an empty mind, "Knowing everything about life but remaining untouched by it, this is purity, isn't it?"... "You know all the nonsense of life but you are untouched by it, this is beautiful." - Sadguru - Guest Contributor: Emily Rack Business Name: Horatio's Jar Publisher: Digital Schools

Emily Rack is a yoga teacher, meditation instructor, freelance writer and visual content creator. She incorporates a unique creative flair into her yoga and meditation classes, courses and workshops. Emily hosts events and classes in schools and the wider community & is passionate about teaching the art of mindfulness.

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