Relax your Mind

This may come as a surprise to a few, but I've been known to read a book or two. Of course it has to be a book with a shiny, pretty cover, and or pop ups…love the pop ups. But, I digress…:)

So, I'm in the bookstore browsing, and I stumble upon this book. I ask myself who is this jolly looking fellow in the toga, and drugstore glasses? Hmmmm…what could he say to me? "How to Practice The Way to a Meaningful Life" by the Dalai Lama. Catchy title…so I pick it up and open to a random page.

Boom…from the first paragraph, I realize that he is offering a suggestion that I may be able to apply in my daily life. Granted, since I have adopted a "don't sweat the small stuff" outlook, I don't worry as much as I used to, but every now and then I'm struck with a sudden uncontrollable bout. It usually strikes around 3:14 a.m. I'll be awakened by the problem dujour and my mind will not rest. It will continue to race, leaving me with a nights sleep ruined. But, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama's suggestion makes perfect sense.

Here are a few excerpts that I'll think about when I'm wrestling with worry. Hopefully, it will be enough to calm my mind in the middle of the night, and yours too, if you find you need it.


"Do not let your mind think on what has happened in the past, nor let it chase after things that might happen in the future; rather leave the mind vivid, without constructions, just as it is. In the space between old and new ideas, discover the natural, unfabricated, luminous and knowing nature of the mind unaffected by thought."


"If you cannot stop worrying over something in the past or what might happen in the future, shift your focus to the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. Or recite this mantra: om mani padme hum ( pronounced "om mani padmay hum") Since the mind cannot focus on two things simultaneously, either of these meditations causes the former worry to fade".