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Resting the mind, more commonly known as meditating, is estimated to be practiced by about 2 percent of the world’s population. Interesting because we rest our bodies about eight hours a night, but 98 percent of us do not consciously rest our minds. During sleep, our minds are still quite active, even when we don’t’ recall our dreams, which is why sleeping doesn’t count as a rest for your mind. Meditation is described by Jon Kabat-Zinn in Wherever You Go, There You Are, as mindfulness. Kabat-Zinn’s definition of mindfulness is “paying attention, on purpose, in the present, and letting go of judgment”. One way to rest your mind is by just focusing on your breath and letting go of any thoughts that enter your mind. It is important not to force the thoughts away. Rather, you just recognize that you are having them, let them go by focusing your attention back to your breath.
You can try meditating for just a few minutes at first. If you are like most of us, you will find that your mind races with countless thoughts, concerns, and fears. The Zen Buddhists refer to this as “monkey mind” because it reflects the image of monkeys wandering quickly and aimlessly from one tree branch to another. Anyone can master the art of meditating…..just like most activities that bring us healthful benefits, you need to include the activity in your daily life (even if it’s just 5 to 10 minutes a day). After you have meditated daily for at least 3 weeks, notice any differences in how you feel, think, and even how you treat others…..you may be pleasantly surprised!
