Some people new to meditation go through a period of dealing with what is referred to as "monkey mind." I don't know who came up with this term. Monkeys seem to be calmer than humans except for their occasional freak outs. Take the bonobo, they look pretty happy as opposed to humans who can get entangled in all kinds of problems that they stew over incessantly.
The issue or problem or challenge is to learn, through meditation, to let your sensations, thoughts and emotions roll off of you like water rolls off duck feathers. You eventually want to come to the realization that you are not your sensations, thoughts and emotions. What you are, at your core, is Awareness. And finding in yourself that place beyond sensations, thoughts and emotions is finding your true self. And this isn't mumbojumbo. It's a real path!
Imagine you are sitting by a stream on a beautiful day. There are trees all along the banks and leaves fall out of these trees, into the flowing water. It is your job in meditation, though you cannot "unsee" the leaves, to let them hit the water and flow away.
Monks call it "polishing the mirror." How can you get in touch with your true self, how can you see clearly when your mind is tangled up?
Beginning meditation is like learning to ride a bike or jump rope: It will be uncomfortable at first. But just like the acorn turns into a mighty oak tree, if you stick with it, you will have years and decades of internal growth. And you will find your center that doesn't move and gives you the gift of pure immaculate rest!
Image Courtesy Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photo-178992/
