We have all heard that yoga helps people to become aware of their mind and the noise it creates. So you’re more aware of the mental chatter… Now what?

The Subconscious Mind and Your Physical Body

Your thoughts (weather conscious or not) talk with every cell in your body. When we are afraid, our body starts natural processes that could potentially save our life IF we were in actual danger. When we think about something delicious (or a lemon) our mouths salivate. When we think repetitive stressful, fearful, or negative thoughts our bodies respond by:

Increasing heart rate
Increasing the clotting factors in your blood
Shallow Breathing
Increase of the production of stress hormones
Decrease the production of anti-aging hormones
Increase sweating

So if we repetitively think negative, fearful, or harmful thoughts, our physical bodies respond by making us look old and clogging our arteries….WTF

“If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. ”

— Joyce Meyer

Break the Cycle

Becoming aware of our repetitive subconscious thoughts is the first step to making a change. When we become aware of those thoughts, we have the power to become the observer of those thoughts instead of attaching to the thoughts.

The visualization I like to use is:
Imagine you minds eye as a vast, blue sky. Each thought is a cloud passing by. You don’t attach, you don’t get swept up in the cloud. You just watch…

When you become the observer, you take the power away from the thought.

Get Honest!

As you’re observing the thoughts, you become aware of the ‘not so nice’ thoughts that have been taking up bandwidth in your brain. When we see what has zapping up energy in our bodies we can take our energy back.

We then have the power in our conscious mind, to calm the body.

4 Ways to Calm the Body

1.) Controlled breathing!

Count the breath.
- Try to count to 5 or 6 on the inhale and 6 or 7 on the exhale.
Ujjayi Pranayama
- Also called the breath of sound or ocean breathing, you allow the breathe to brush or tickle the back of your throat. That calms your parasympathetic nervous system and tells your whole body to relax!
Alternate Nostril Breathing
- This not only allows you to watch the breath, it also gives people a sense of control.

2.) Tapping or Energy Medicine

EFT or Donna Eden’s, energy medicine is a great way to literally tap and break apart the anxiety.

3.) The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Sensations

There is no better way to bring a person into the present moment than by making them attach to all 5 senses.
The game is simple, you first take in your surroundings and close your eyes. Next, try to remember, in great detail, 5 things you could see.
Once you have those, keep what you can see in your minds eye and find 4 things you can feel (think feel the ground or chair below you… feel the breath… feel the heart beat…etc.
Next find 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Remember, these things don’t have to be overpowering, sometimes scents and tastes are almost non distinguishable.

4.) Meditate Regularly

Just like you can strengthen your physical body, you can strengthen your mind. When we meditate daily, we strengthen our neurological pathways and slowing down your prefrontal cortex. This brain activity paired with a new self awareness can lead to magic!

In conclusion, mindfulness is a lifelong practice but when we have the tools in our tool box, getting through the hard times gets a little easier.