Our minds sometimes seem to have a life of their own. Thoughts stream through our heads all day long. We relive memories, missing the good times and regretting the not so good ones. We spend time in the future, trying to plan or guess what will happen. Even in our efforts to stay present, there is often a stream of labels and judgmental thoughts about what we are perceiving.
How often do you take the time to consciously stop the stream of thoughts? It is important to enter a state of no thought often in order to give our minds a break. Some of the benefits of a no-thought practice is that it helps us to ground ourselves in the present, lowers stress, and improves memory and attention span.
I suspect many of my reader have a meditation practice in which they practice gently letting go of the stream of thought. If not, designating a particular time of day to set aside for meditation could be a great place to start. If you are not experienced with meditation, it is good to start slowly, designating a small amount of time for meditation and then working up to longer periods. There are many methods of meditation you can try that are easily found with an internet search. The simplest is the practice of focusing on the breath and returning to it each time the mind wanders back into the stream of thoughts.
Meditation is not the only time we can practice interrupting our thought stream, however. Practicing no-thought often throughout the day helps us to build a resistance to stress and negative reactions to everyday situations.
Eckhart Tolle recommends practicing no-thought for a few minutes each day, and gradually increasing your practice. He suggests observing your surroundings often with a beginner’s mind mentality (a noticing mind, with no labels or judgements). Each morning when you wake, just look around your room at the colors and shapes of the objects around you without labeling them and with no judgement of what you are seeing, just notice. There is an opportunity to do this each time you enter a new room or go out in nature. Just look and notice.
Taking one conscious breath is another technique that Eckhart Tolle teaches for a no-thought practice. It is simple, quick, and effective. We can stop at any time throughout our day and focus completely on our breath. Just one breath is enough to create a moment free of thought, a moment to allow your mind to rest. Notice the way the breath feels entering your nostrils, filling your lungs, nourishing your body, and exiting out the mouth. In his book Anger, Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, Thich Nhat Hanh says that one conscious breath is enough to bring you back to yourself and that three are enough to anchor you there.
I encourage you to create your own no-thought practice incorporating the ideas here or by finding others that resonate with you. Take time often to withdrawal from the stream of thought and give your mind a break. I have gained a lot from this practice and believe you will, too. I would love for you to share your experience in the comments.