By Anusha Wijeyakumar, Hoag Wellness Consultant
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to maintain a calm and serene mind throughout the ups and downs of daily life? To have the ability to keep negative thoughts from intervening while attempting to reach a goal or set an intention? If you struggle to quiet negative thought patterns, you are not alone, but there are ways to take control of the inner noise keeping you from leading your most fulfilling life.
There is a beautiful parable about a frog attempting to reach the top of a tree. As the frog tries to fulfill its mission, other frogs gather at the bottom to yell discouraging comments. They tell the frog it will fall and harm itself before it ever reaches the top. However, the frog decides to ignore the negative comments of its peers and listen only to its intuition. In doing so, it reaches the top of the tree.
We can all resonate with this story. Here are a few ways to incorporate its lessons into your own life:
Ignore Negativity: We can use external doubts to fuel our ambitions, or we can simply learn to tune them out and let our intuitions be our guides.
Trust Your Inner Wisdom: The key lies in believing in your own capabilities while focusing intently on your goals, undeterred by external distractions. When you set out to accomplish anything in this life, there will be naysayers. We hear the words “you can’t” more often than we ever should, but learning to drown out this external noise is crucial.
Unwavering Focus: My own meditation and mindfulness practice has helped me develop what is referred to as single-pointed concentration. When you commit to meeting your goals while blocking out external distractions, the path to your intention becomes clear. When you substitute negative noise with time and commitment, you have achieved a level of focus that can only lead you to your intended destination.
Cultivating Clarity: A 5-Minute Mindfulness Practice designed to help you drown out the noise and reconnect with your inner wisdom
- Comfortable Posture: Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor, with eyes open or closed.
- Hand Placement: Place your left hand on your heart and your right hand on your abdomen.
- Deep Breathing: Take 5-10 deep inhales and exhales, focusing on the expansion of your belly on the inhale and its contraction on the exhale.
- Release and Connect: As you breathe, consciously release anything that no longer serves you. Connect with your inner spirit to find the calmness that emerges when body and mind unite.
Resources
– For more information on The Hoag Center For Wellness meditation, mindfulness & yoga classes please visit www.hoag.org/hoag-for-her
