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Writer's pictureHarsha

Don’t Do This!

1/3: Mind

There is a ton of advice out there about Mindfulness, Meditation, etc. Some of it is useful while some has stretched beyond its healthy and reasonable limits. Let’s change that:

💙Let go of the idea that your mind is the ultimate culprit or that your thoughts are your enemies. You have somehow been led to believe that mindfulness and meditation is a battle between you and your thoughts. You berate yourself if you cannot instantaneously switch OFF your thoughts when you sit down to meditate. You aim to suppress your thoughts and believe that you are “failing” if you can’t do that. The truth is- Our minds are brilliant assets. They help us navigate through life, they help us do our jobs, in our daily chores, etc. You only have to learn to handle your mind with ease and work with it like a team. 

💚Don’t aim to “Think only positive thoughts” or eliminate “negative thoughts” entirely. We humans learn from negatives- that’s how we adapt, grow and evolve. Instead of being harsh with yourself- gently observe. A thought pattern that was once a useful adaptation might have become maladaptive now- fix it with love and care, with respect for its original purpose and place. 

💜If you don’t achieve an absolutely blank state of mind, meditation isn’t a “failure”. And if you do manage to feel an extraordinary sense of calm and peace after a session, pat yourself on the back- but don’t try to compete with this “successful” session every single time in the future. You are not meant to suppress your thoughts. You are meant to peacefully coexist with them. There is no superior-inferior, master-slave or wild animal meant to be tamed. It’s all part of the process. Every aspect has its own place, it’s own value. 

💖Life gets tough. There are way too many variables. There is never going to be a permanent, ideal state of mind that you achieve- after which you will never ever have a single “negative” thought. That is not how life is, or how our minds are designed to be. For most of us, it is going to a continuous, lifelong process to seek balance and harmony. There is no end goal- just experiences and improvements done over and over again. 

Be kind to your mind. Mindfulness is not a competition! 🪷 

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