Mind over Matter - Is it True?

Monkey mind?

The increased ability to focus that comes from a regular practice gives us a chance to accomplish tasks while shutting out the kind of internal noise that pulls our focus.

We all know the saying “mind over matter”, and it’s often used to imply that if you try hard enough you should be able to overcome whatever obstacles are between you and achieving your goal. But how do we get our mind to function in a way that allows us to take on the tasks we need to perform in order to succeed?

A yoga and meditation practice can help create a strong mindset that will set you up for success, because of how the brain responds to the activities these practices involve.

Yoga and meditation will strengthen the areas of the brain used for:

-       Learning

-       Memory

-       Emotion

-       Self regulation, and

-       Perspective

The increased ability to focus that comes through regular yoga and meditation gives us a chance to accomplish tasks while shutting out the kind of internal noise that pulls our focus.

Many people refer to this internal noise as the “monkey mind” which is not just an intangible thing with a cute name, it is an actual part of the brain – the area that handles self-referential thoughts known as the Default Mode Network (DMN). If you find that your mind wanders while you are trying to have a conversation or complete a task you should consider yoga and meditation.

Vedic Meditation employs the use of a mantra that not only quietens the mental chatter that can stop us from reaching a relaxed state, but brings the whole body into deep relaxation through the vibration of the mantra itself. Metta or Loving Kindness Meditation helps to develop self -compassion and gratitude. Consider the words you imagine or evoke when you are meditating, and allow them to reduce negative emotions and create love.

Committing to a yoga and meditation practice can:

-       Relieve stress

-       Strengthen the immunes system

-       Loser cortisol, and

-       Control pain

-       Create self-compassion and deepen gratitude

Studies have identified that when you meditate, you can increase the size of the brain’s posterior cingulate cortex, the temporoparietal junction and the cerebellum, so there is a scientific proof that yoga and meditation can actually make your brain grow!!

When you meditate regularly and commit to a yoga practice, you are not only strengthening your mind and your body. You are creating a connection between your internal world and your external world which is the key to a strong mindset that will help you succeed in your work and relationships.