Working With The Busy Mind

02:31

02:31

Working With The Busy Mind

by Theresa B. Skaar

Type

talks

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

2

When the mind feels especially busy, meditation can sometimes feel more frustrating than calming. In this short talk, I share several simple approaches I personally use when thoughts are racing and concentration feels difficult, including working with stones and essential oils to anchor attention through the senses. You'll leave with practical, accessible ways to support your practice even on your most distracted days, without the expectation that your mind needs to be quiet. Ideal for anyone exploring mindfulness, sensory grounding, self-compassion, and stress reduction.

Mindfulness Sensory Grounding Self Compassion Stress Reduction Present Moment Grounding Mind Wandering Present Moment Focus Candle Gazing

Meet your Teacher

Theresa B. Skaar

St Paul, MN, USA

Meet your Teacher

Theresa B. Skaar

St Paul, MN, USA

Transcript

So one of the things that people bring up when they talk to me about mindfulness or their challenges is this idea of clearing the mind. And you might hear that, Um, Being said like, Oh, You know, Just meditate and you'll clear your mind. That can be an amazing by-product of meditation, But it's not what the mind does. The mind is busy. It's far in the future, Thinking, Worrying, Planning ahead. It's in the past, Ruminating, Reminiscing. And our brains are amazing that they can do this, Right? Like it's, It's so cool. And obviously we don't want to, Um, Diminish that, But when we're trying to focus or and we're trying to work with some of these harder thoughts or challenges. The practice in coming back to the present moment can really be supportive, So that when you notice that your mind is off to the races and it's feeling uncomfortable and not really helpful, You can start using practices to bring you to the present moment. One of the ways that I've been teaching, Training, And talking about meditation for over 10 years now, And there are times when It is a full street fight up in my brain. So I'll sit to meditate and it is, It is not calm and it is not clear. And so what I do in those moments is I say, Okay, That's what this is like. And then I'll reach for some tools to help me ground and guide. So like I have rocks everywhere, Um, You know, Different sizes, Shapes, Colors, Textures. And so I'll often reach for a rock and hold that. And that tactile sensation brings me to the present moment. So it can help bring that busy mind to the present because I'm focusing then on texture. I'm focusing on the weight and and it can help ground me. If that isn't working or sometimes in tandem, I'll, You know, Use some essential oils. People have used candles. So like watching a candle flame can be really effective and impactful. So it's not about clearing the mind. It's about working with the mind, Noticing where it's wandering to coming back to the present moment. And in the present moment, There's possibility. There's more choice. There's an ability to respond versus react out of stress. And that's why I'm so passionate about sharing these tools with people.