Best ways to slow down the monkey mind

[PlayTheGame]

What are the best ways to slow down the monkey mind, and endless analyzing of it?

 

it seems that my monkey mind js constantly talking but also constantly analyzing itself.

[Gladius]

Breathing.

That's it.

[Recursoinominado]

Breath in until your lungs are completely full, expand belly, chest and shoulders, HOLD the air while opening chest, belly and throat like you are going to look into the sky and visualize your internal organs expanding, hold until you cannot anymore and let everything go slowly.

A good one of those will quiet the monkey mind immediately, it is really strong, do at your own risk.

 

[Robert Leavitt]

Thought Stopping.  Meditation...and ultimately...humility.  Humility is what changed it all for me.  Once I realized I was so incredibly irrational and off the mark, I was able not to think as much.  In fact, it is possible not to think at all.  Sometimes individuals like to voice their opinions about not thinking at all (having no thoughts whatsoever), but it has been my experience that individuals who say "oh that's crazy, you can't do that, that will never work"...have never done it.  So, if they have never done it, why would they say it can't be done?  They have no experience doing it but they have an opinion about it....cynical and highly opinionated.... don't listen to people who haven't accomplished something you are trying to learn, they will just reinforce your fears.

So they think it's not possible, and unfortunately, because they think it's not possible,  they never accomplish it and give up immediately (if they ever even try at all). 

In order to not think or have a barrage of thoughts going on in the mind, you have to be open to the fact that it's possible.

Then...you have to practice.

I have the ability to stop thinking all together on command at any moment...it took me years of practice, but it's 100% doable. (I DO have experience doing it...not saying you would be wise to listen to me necessarily...)

 

 

[hyruga]

Read Gorilla mindset. Instantly transformed from Monkey to Gorilla!

[sholomar]

I find it's a balancing act between self discipline and letting go and just being... like the ying and the yang. Leo talks about needing to accept yourself as you are, and this is the part a lot of development junkies forget because they are always striving to be something different than what they are. This ironically will get the sympathetic nervous system fired up and can lead to burnout and anxious behaviors. It's a paradox that you just have to finally say "fuck it" and accept your monkey mind before you can hope to achieve change.

For me it's all about building new habits and the best way to do this is to print out a list of what I'm going to do so then it automates the process and I spend less time debating, ruminating, and trying to resist cravings.. here's what the list says, so this is what I'm doing. Rewiring the limbic brain is about repetition.. taking a new activity and repeating it until it's a habit.

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by sholomar

[UnconsciousHuman]

@PlayTheGame I have the same problem as you. Just practice mindfulness that's the way to go about. Trip on psychedelics every now and then. You will slowly grow your awareness. There is no shortcut here dude. If you wanna calm down monkey mind you have to become more observant aka mindful and that takes time. There is just no way around it. 

Start now (Mindfulness practice), because if you don't you only delay it.

See which mindfulness practice works for you. Kriya yoga, mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, islamic prayer... the list goes on a long long way. 

But pick one and persist with it. Ofcourse its hard to pick one out of the hundreds of mindfulness/awareness/observation practices. Figure that out for yourself. 

 

[Prevailer]

Try to bring yourself into the moment more and more more and meditate on wearing  your body so that you can get back In touch with your five senses.You consciousness state is split and subject to the voices of the 2 off biological computers on the left and right side of your brain.These voices can be lethal If they get out of control.You need to silence them before you will notice your true inner voice.

[Shiva99]

Meditation and mindfulness

 

[PlayTheGame]

Thanks guys!

[ChimpBrain]

Other than the obvious answer of regular meditation, chanting helps me a ton.  Occasionally I sit down to meditate and my mind is going crazy so after a few minutes of this, instead of getting frustrated and quitting, I do 20-30 looong "Om" chants and after that I find that my mind is much calmer. It's worth a shot. It's free after all and you're just sitting there anyway lol