Let’s consider a practical exercise that can eliminate excessive mind chatter. We use terms such as boxed in and living in a box to express anxiety and frustration. Instead, let’s use these expressions as stepping stones to conscious living.
A box, of your own making, surrounds you each day. Thoughts and even emotions confine you within the box’s walls. You might think that the exercise I mention implies restricting thoughts and emotions. However, and foremost, you can’t stop the mind from thinking. Therefore, your practice is to do exactly the opposite. Acknowledge deeply that the majority of thoughts and emotions don’t honestly reflect the actuality of this moment. Additionally, the act of simply being is a priority for consciously living regardless of the content within the mind’s box. Therefore, let’s focus on how to practice thinking in the box. But, experience the isness of life and your beingness outside of the box.
Box in the Mind and Free Yourself
What usually happens in situations when the mind dominates the experience? Suddenly, you have a thought that often multiplies into more and more thoughts. Moreover, this continues for longer periods as random thoughts repeatedly appear. Most people try to distract themselves from the mind’s activities. Or, a person tries to stop thinking. Neither of these methods are very effective and actually prevent you from living in a state of conscious presence.
Okay, let’s try the exercise using the insight from above as guidelines. First, the following is helpful as you start the exercise.
Now focus on the image of your mind’s box. Likewise, focus without attachment, on thoughts within the box. There might be too many to count, depending on the situations. Furthermore, guess what? The size of the box and the number of thoughts is of no significance to your conscious state of being. Therefore, only one thought is significant in this moment. This thought represents the acknowledgement of your state of being. Thus, this one thought is the center of your focus. Are you actively conscious? Or, are you jumping from one mental activity to the next? The first state of being offers spaciousness and peacefulness. The second restricts you to an existence within the minds mental box. Practice this exercise as often as possible. You will start to experience a shift in your awareness. Likewise, the buzz of thoughts fades away in the background of your conscious beingness.
Best wishes
