Om
om - the essence of all things
In my previous blog we talked about some aspects of the mind-body connection: how we have become more and more disconnected from our bodies; how certain technology and the ‘Internet in the mind’ idea tries to maintain that we are all mind and wants to connect physically with the brain; how we are also so much more, our brain is connected to our body and is also affected by emotion which drives behaviour and certain responses.
I also ended with the question: what makes you, you?
Have you thought about it?
Take these few minutes to jot down what makes you you. We’re going to have a look at the wandering mind and how stilling it and being in-touch with our bodies makes all the difference.
Our mind is always on the go - even when we’re asleep. Some people find it hard to even sleep, sometimes because they are over-thinkers, they don’t let their mind relax. Even when we’re not thinking, we’re thinking or we’re thinking about not thinking! It’s an endless cycle. Yet, when we get to the nitty gritty, where is all this thinking going? Where is it leading us? Could there be a time for thinking and a time for not-thinking?
Perhaps even better, is so much thinking leading to happiness? Or are we fussing and over-thinking that which we cannot control? Many ancient traditions say that happiness is to be found in this very moment, we have to live and experience the moment to know or perhaps understand happiness and contentment. But how do we live in the now when we’re always thinking about what’s to come, what’s to do, what’s to be, what’s on, where to be, where to go, who to be with, who to see. . .
Luckily we can always train our mind, and this is a very powerful tool indeed - to still the mind. To be here now, implies that you prioritize your time, what you’re taking in and selecting what not to, too. Since we are surrounded by noise, and the point is stilling the mind, then we have to admit that we cannot be present for it all. We have to know how to choose and devote our energy and time completely and solely to that 1 thing.
Most of us have to multitask, and many people are very proud to be able to multitask, and there is a time for it. At the same time we cannot be multitasking the whole time. The whole point of multitasking is to be able to do a number of things at the same time - which means divided attention. Some things require our full attention, and we cannot be lost in doing this and that, or we won’t notice what we’re missing.
There was a time when I used to work all the time, keep my phone next to me during family time so that I could always answer emails whilst we were relaxing together, or when I’m doing chores or shopping. But this was hardly healthy; and I started to notice that even if I was writing a simple email, that required very little thought and was having a conversation at the same time, the conversation suffered. The other person deserved that time, and I should have been fully in the moment to know and appreciate them. This is a simple example, yet we might see it happen everyday - with friends, colleagues, on the road as people text or email in their cars - why do we do this to ourselves?
Since I changed my daily routine, everything has its own time - work, exercise, family, breaks, chores, errands. I try not to waste my energy doing aimless things at certain times of the day so I changed my routine to suit my energy levels too. I also realised that at certain points I was too available for family so when it’s work, it’s work. Likewise when I’m with family I know there’s no space for emails or the like. I still keep on thinking about projects and different things when I’m just relaxing but I guess that’s just me - I am glad that I manage to relax way more than I used to, and not feel guilty. Balance is key, and though it’s not easy and you’re never quite there as you want to be, it is in reach.
The less I allow my mind to wander off on things that I cannot control or which have not yet happened, the calmer I am. Our mind is a magnificent thing, and how it can affect and be affected by the rest of our body is remarkable really. When we think too much we deprive our mind of thinking of the right things, we deprive it of energy to be creative and to feel what our body is telling us.
When we are able to think of the bare minimum, so to speak, the necessary there is more opportunity, more space for our imagination and mind to run wild. More than this, bare attention is in fact a clear, single-minded awareness of what is happening to us and in us at the present moments of perception. We are helping to stop the mind from mental proliferation and fabrication. Mindful meditation, especially something like a body scan can allow you to become fully aware of your mind-body interaction, at least become more open to it.
By chanting Om (or Aum), a sacred mantra, you can become more in-tune with everything within and without. This is because Om is the essence of all things, consciousness. The sounds themselves are calming and in many ways soothing too. By having such a mantra, concentration may come easier than being in total silence, when we become aware of the natural trails of thought that come up. If you prefer to be in silence, accept that thoughts will naturally arise and put them slowly aside, simply focus on your breath - a constant. Both the Om mantra and breath focus will increase concentration, emotional responses, positivity and patience with yourself as well as those around you.