Tag: ernest wood

Often my mind goes wherever it likes, following the path of least resistance.  Flowing into old thought patterns before I notice and realize I have a choice.

English scholar and yogi Ernest Wood helped me to see this happening.  In Concentration: An Approach to Meditation, he writes,

…the need of mental training, or regular, orderly, purposeful exercise of the mind, is far greater than that of the body in most cases; for at our general stage of growth most [people]’s bodily activities are well-ordered and controlled , and the body is obedient to their will, but their minds are usually utterly disobedient, idle and luxurious.[1]

And I’m beginning to see how this manifests for me.

For the past couple of days I’ve felt slightly disconnected.  And today I finally realized I don’t need to beat myself up about it.  I’m able to see that beating myself up is flowing into the old thought pattern of not good enough, not smart enough, not efficient enough.

I’m realizing that I feel uncentered and that’s okay.  I am centered enough.

Utterly disobedient – until I choose to make a change.

And so I’m beginning to watch what happens in my mind.  To notice and to write.  To become the detective and put the clues together.  To realize when a negative pattern is happening and to shift away.  To exercise choice.

And there’s an amazing freedom that comes.  Realizing that when my mind is utterly disobedient it causes a lot of pain.  And then when I find ways to change the pattern the pain lifts.

So slowly.
One step at a time.
I am learning to change my mind.