MONKEY MIND

Yogas-citta-vritti-nirodhah

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras I.2

Monkeys sure are cute and certainly entertaining to watch as they frolic about, swinging from branch to branch, chattering incessantly, never staying in one place for too long.

But experiencing "monkey mind," as the Buddha describes it, doesn’t ordinarily produce the same level of amusement or gratification. Monkey mind can be a very real deterrent to prolonged inner peace and happiness. An unsettled and restless mind clings to the ego, and the outward-looking ego clings to the rambling parade of thoughts which aimlessly passing through. This constant state of distraction and wild fluctuation disconnects us from our true nature and stifles passion and creativity, which ultimately leads to agitation, anxiousness, and exhaustion.

In Patanjali's "Yoga Sutras," Sutra 1.2 speaks to Yogas-citta-vrtti-nirodhah, a stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. This is a prominent and foundational element of a yoga practice, using meditation and pranayama (breath) to consciously reduce the frenetic disconnected sensation of “monkey mind.”

By practicing detachment on our mats and intentionally withdrawing from the outer world (cell phones, watches, careers, relationships), we can then take what we have “unlearned” on our mat back out into our lives and experience what it feels like to move through the world more deeply rooted in mindfulness, fully alert, vibrant, awakened, and extraordinarily present in the Here and Now.

We are grateful to be companions on this beautiful life journey with you.

With infinite love,

Kevin and Lisa McCormack

https://www.blackcatyogajax.com/

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