Noticing the Mind's Narratives by Michelle Chua

It’s interesting how the mind can create suffering by resisting what is or adding drama to the lens of perception around life events that can seem quite neutral to another person with a different history and lens. 

Have you ever felt so attached to an expectation of how something should be, like a holiday celebration, that any arising event that didn’t fulfill that vision created dissatisfaction?  And as one thought of dissatisfaction grows into the next, as the Law of Attraction goes, you sit in a puddle of disappointment, perhaps layered with a defensive mud of anger or resentment?  I’ve been there. 

Or, how about when you suspect you’ve been taken advantage of by someone you feel you’ve supported for so long?  Then, one thought after another compounds into a narrative of betrayal, distrust and resentment?  I’ve been there too.

Yeah, I’m human.  And my mind, as is its nature, likes to tell stories.  More specifically, the ego tries to narrate life’s events for its self-preservation, sometimes even elaborating stories with imagination and not truth. While our survival seems to be its priority, we can mistake the ego and its thoughts for who we are and forget our own power to oversee it and see life more clearly.

But what if I chose not to believe every single thought?  What if I remembered that I have a choice whether or not to get strapped into the roller coaster of anxiety, worry and fear?  What if I just sat still a moment to see the mind for what it is: in a state of constant change?  Not to numb myself, but allow the feelings to arise as catalysts to pay more attention to the thoughts I’m fed without consuming them all.  What if I cared about my well-being so much that I decided to just breathe, feel, observe and allow clarity?  This is my yoga, and it’s an ever-evolving practice.

In January 2020, we'll gather in community live online to explore ways to integrate our yoga practice in our daily lives, through our book club reading, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World.  Join us in the yogic practice of svadhyaya, or self-study, as we apply our understanding of the kleshas, or root causes of suffering.

Learn About Our January Book Club