Tools for Healing the Mind

A great deal can be said about the importance of the mind to our overall well-being. Yet, many people press on through life, ignoring their relationship with the mind. Instead, they may feel like they are being tossed through life by the currents of their thoughts and feelings. Or, alternatively, they may feel overwhelmed by the arduous task of suppressing their psychological needs. Some can ignore their mind so long that the only way it can be heard is to overflow into physical discomfort.

This topic is true to my heart because my parent spent their whole life looking at the mind as an enemy. They ran to addiction, then on to religion, and in the end, the results of their actions left them alone and confused. I was raised with the same mindset and struggled a lot with trying to control my thoughts and feelings. I never really understood what was going on; I just had an overall sense of feeling broken or out of place. Other people seemed to have life all figured out, and I felt like I had been dropped in the middle of a game that the whole world was playing but refused to share the rules. I carried the burden of thoughts and feelings caught up in the past, the future, everyday interactions, and fears of the unknown. This is only one of the ways an unhealthy relationship with the mind manifests. That being said, I get it.

In the West, and now more appropriately, in most modern places, we are raised to think of the mind like a TV that never shuts off. Its programming is produced to keep us engaged, and the majority of the world is so engaged that they forget there is a difference between the observer and the program. In my experience, the mind can never be turned off, but we can learn to remember we are watching a story and even choose to step away to explore other areas of the house. Numerous tools are available to develop this skill. Astrological Consultation helps us understand our unique relationship with the mind and how to identify particular strengths and habits when they arise. Yoga Nidra rests the mind, allowing for space and reset. Mindfulness meditation cultivates the skills to see the mind as it is and learn to establish awareness beyond the mind, leading to inner fulfillment.

If anything is true, developing a healthy relationship with the mind is a process. The earlier you start, the faster you will see how much it changes your relationship with the world.