In Zen meditation, "Monkey Mind" is a term used to describe the experience of thoughts as they jump to and fro, like a monkey swinging from branch to branch in a tree.In meditation practice, especially when you are first starting out, your mind has the tendency to jump from thought to thought, analyzing this and that, worrying about what will happen, replaying who said what and how you reacted, etc.
The first time I heard the expression, "monkey mind," in regard to meditation, I laughed to myself. As a child, my favorite thing to do at the zoo was to watch the antics of the monkeys. I could watch them play, and be entertained for hours and never get bored. I enjoyed watching as they engaged in one activity to another, allowing themselves to be highly stimulated by the environment around them.
One of the mind's favorite occupations is to play and be entertained with random thought. Modern psychology calls this sort of mind activity concept looping, in which the thoughts loop around from mental concept to mental concept without ceasing.
Meditation is a very effective way to tame the endless chatter and activity of the monkey mind. So what are some ways that you can tame the monkey of your mind so that you can fully enjoy the benefits of meditation?
1. Notice the thought without attaching to it. Taming monkey of your mind is simply the act of noticing a thought without attaching to it. When you are 'attached' to a thought it means that you make it personal, adding your own spin on it with your feelings, beliefs, and concepts. The ego mind loves to do this as much as a monkey loves to eat bananas!
2. After observing the thought let it go. Taming the monkey of your mind is the practice of observing a new thought without letting it take hold of you, as well as the habit of choosing to release a thought and to let it go, instead of letting the ego mind run with it.
When I first began meditation I found this a bit difficult to do because my mind was used to having its own way with me. When I began to consciously control my mind, my mind rebelled. But with continued practice I realized that I was not my mind, and that I could choose to not act or react on every thought that just popped into my head. This realization empowered me, and I slowly began to be able let the chatter of the mind cease, and to experience the deep inner peace that comes with a regular practice of meditation.
Meditation allows you to harness the power of the mind, center it, and focus on one subject at a time. If you take the time for a daily meditation practice, your decision making process will be much more controlled and clear. The end result will be to look at the monkey in your with much more compassion, respect, appreciation, and a bit of humor.
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