Your Mental Playlist and Freedom from it

Have you noticed what is getting 'air-time' in your head lately?

You know, the steady stream of thoughts spinning like an LP on a turn-table, running like a hamster in a wheel?

Try to mute this mental chatter, and you might discover that it only amplifies.

If you've ever claimed that your mind is too busy to meditate, you know this phenomenon first hand.

 So, is there freedom beyond our playlists of thinking? If so, how can you access it?

STEP 1 to FREEDOM; UNDERSTAND & NOTICE

 Understand that the chatter is a normal function of the brain. Don't try to stop, edit or control it. Simply notice it.

 This 'blah-blah-blah' playlist sings out a limited idea of who we are. It shapes a narrow perception of you and the world around you. In addition, the naturally negative bias we share as humans, authors a bleak autobiography.

Freedom comes from recognizing these natural tendencies. The recognition will buy a little space to catch a glimpse of your true nature, rather than be stuck in a lesser story of who you are.

This isn't spiritual gobbly gook. Neuroscientific hypothesis links the 'playlist' to specific areas of the brain, referred to as the Default Mode Network. (DMN)

STEP TWO TO FREEDOM; SHIFT GEARS

Good news; we have another neural network that is connected to well-being, happiness and wholeness. All you need to access it, is your attention. You can shift your attention from one object in the room to another, right? You can also shift attention outside of your default narrative. You actually do this all the time already, but more on that later.

 I invite you to 'test your gears' in 4 steps:

1.  Close your eyes or soften your gaze, and enjoy a couple of satisfying breaths.

2. Tune into your playlist of thoughts for a while. Just noticing thinking.

3. Shift attention to notice how you are aware of thinking.

4. What is it like to be aware?

Did this simple inquiry change your relationship to the playlist, even if momentarily? Does something feel different? Can you feel yourself as the noticer, rather than being hooked into the thoughts?

Or, are you wondering what the heck I'm asking you to do? If it confusing, good. WIllfully stepping out of the DNS can be disorienting. You might take comfort in the fact that you are already switching gears of consciousness often, every day and every night. It is just likely that nobody has pointed that out to you.

When you are simply aware, notice the qualities of awareness. Does awareness feel more peaceful, light, and/or spacious? What else do you notice when you are simply aware of all that comes and goes in your mind?

Comparatively, the playlist of thoughts may feel more stressful, contracted, or dense.

Awareness is a state of consciousness connected to creativity and potentiality, where we are free of our perceived limitations.

A WORD OF CAUTION

Trying too hard to stay as awareness will lock you out. Awareness isn't something you "do". In this practice you shift attention away from the content of your mind and the "doing". You shift into noticing, or "being", just as you are, naturally, before your mind applies interpretive thoughts.

Simply relax attention, notice being aware of whatever you are aware of, however fleeting it may be. It is natural for the Default Mode Network to re-engage, landing you back into the "blah-blah-blah". The good news is that when you notice that happening, you are already back in awareness of it.

The goal is not to achieve any one state, but rather to be able to recognize and navigate the changing states with increasing ease. Each state has its own validity; a negative bias is designed to keep you safe. With practice, you more readily access the wisdom to know what is true and when to take action.

Initially, moving attention from a thought stream to being aware of thinking, may feel clumsy or inaccessible. Like learning to drive a manual transmission car, practice will lead to a smooth shift between our states of consciousness.

FREE UP ENERGY

Our subconscious avoidance of the DMN demands a lot of energy. We might tune out the playlists by staying overly busy, self-soothing with substances, excessive risk-taking, or my personal favorite, over-thinking.

Often, I catch myself overthinking - not with judgment, but with curiosity and appreciation of the opportunity to change lanes of consciousness. I notice overthinking, feel how it feels, then notice how it is to be aware of it. In my experience, awareness is refreshing, relaxing, and freeing.

It should be noted that concentration or focus on a task, work or activity is an effective rest from the DMN. It's just that we can't sustain that focus for long without draining our energy.

I invite you to notice how it is for you to be open to the awareness of whatever is happening in your experience. For best results do little bits, often.

Imagine the liberation of not being stuck in your thoughts, and not having to change them or turn them off.

There are many paths to freedom. Join me on Thursdays for iRest Yoga Nidra and the opportunity to practice switching gears to discover innate wisdom and well-being.  

Have fun exploring, and let me know how it goes for you!