Do you find your mind constantly racing, and you're unable to focus on the present moment, overwhelmed by the continuous stream of thoughts and worries in your mind? Do you find it hard to slow down and find some peace and calm in your life? You aren't alone. At Brisbane Meditation, this is something we often hear and fortunately, along with this incredible meditation method, we have devised a strategy you can try to bring some calmness to your life.
Make time to do some discarding meditation
This is by far the most effective way to find some permanent peace and calm in your mind. Quite often, your mind is in a constant state of trying to be anywhere else but here. For whatever reason, you're avoiding the present moment. Perhaps this is a consequence of a habitually busy life, or you're trapped in a state of trying to run away from the problems in your mind you can't bear to face.
The method of discarding meditation is very different to the more commonly known practice of mindfulness and other types of meditation. Mindfulness meditation is about trying to allow thoughts, observe them without judgement and let them pass on by. In this way they will settle back into your consciousness only to re-emerge (often uninvited!) at a later time. With discarding meditation, we systematically recall everything we have in our mind and through the process, discard and let go of them from our mind so they disappear forever - no more uninvited thoughts!
The thoughts build up over time in our mind simply just by living. They get stored in our mind and just continue to pile up in there until they're bursting out without rest. Letting go of the the thoughts is the most effective way to deal with the root cause and resolve it for good. Naturally, your mind will become calm and peaceful as it becomes more clean and clear.
Regularly exercise
We all know the benefits of exercise, and people tend to use this as a release. There's no doubt that exercising, with the release of endorphins, washing your mind clean and pushes those endless thoughts down into your consciousness. But what happens when your body starts to break down or you have issues that prevent you from being able to move properly? This is when the mind starts to race.
If you have the capacity to move without restriction, then just like breathing, it is a wonderful tool to bring peace and calmness to your mind. It will boost your mood and reduce your stress levels, and of course there are the long term health benefits.
Practice appropriate self care
One of the best self care things you can do, which is often overlooked, is eat properly. The brain and gut health is very powerful, and there is now developing science that shows how a poor diet, and consequently bad gut health, leads to higher levels of anxiety, stress and depression! You need to take care of your body and treat it with respect.
You can also slow down your mind with a relaxing bath, and magnesium salts are especially good. A walk in nature or sitting by the beach are also really nice ways to align your mind with the flow of nature and escape the endless stream of thoughts. A massage is another great tool as well.
Limit your social media exposure
In this fast paced, modern world we are constantly bombarded with information overload. Social media especially is a big issue when it comes to bombarding your consciousness. The comparisons and judgements and dopamine hits add fuel to the fire and compound the issue.
There's nothing wrong with social media in and of itself if you can limit your usage. But definitely do use it first thing in the morning. There are studies that suggest using your phone first thing in the morning sets an irreversible momentum for your day, so if you can at the least limit it first thing in the morning and before bed, then that's a great start,
Conclusion
Ultimately, if you want to truly calm your mind and body and have some peace, you need to deal with the root cause. The root cause is the build up of the thoughts from the life you have lived. They create a constant stream of uninvited thoughts which are the reason why you have no calm and peace in your mind. On top of this, people are habitually running away from their problems rather than facing them head on. With the strategies we have listed, most of them are tools, but nothing beats dealing with the root so the problem is resolved for good and you have a permanent state of peace and calm.
If you'd like to know more about how to deal with the root cause, book yourself a free introduction.