Being the Caretaker of Your Mind

Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about being a caretaker of your mind. In our meditation practice, we're always monitoring where our attention goes. We aim to keep our attention on the breath or whatever the object of meditation is. And then if our attention wanders away, you know, into thoughts about our problems, our anxieties, our plans, our fixations, we gently bring our focus back.

And in this way, we are like a caretaker of the mind. In the same way, we can continue to practice being a caretaker of our mind in day-to-day life by, again, just monitoring when we might be getting caught up, you know, in our emotions, in unhelpful thoughts, in mental fixations or struggles. And we can practice pulling our attention out of those thoughts and grounding ourselves in mindful awareness again and again, and again. This practice of caretaking our attention starts in meditation. But the real test really is bringing this caretaker-like awareness into our lives where the challenges and the tribulations of life rub up against us, you know.

Because let's face it, you know, real life, this is where our partner shows up late for dinner, our boss gives us an extra workload we weren't expecting. This is where we have traffic jams and long lines. And no matter how long we've been practicing meditation, there's certain times when we all tend to react, fixate, get caught up in mental patterns. I know that one pattern that comes up for me repeatedly is that I tend to be really hard on myself and perfectionistic. And so when I notice myself falling into that mental pattern, I notice, you know, there's the same basic pattern of emotions that surfaces from that.

I often feel a feeling that I'm not good enough. I'm unworthy. I feel a sadness, a heaviness. But because I've made a real effort in my life to be aware of this pattern when it arises, I find that I catch it faster these days and I caretake my attention in those moments. I let go of those thoughts and I bring my focus back to the present moment.

And so just like this, you know, once we're aware of any habitual mental pattern, we have an opportunity to pause and change our response. So the next time you fall into any unhelpful tendency of the mind, whether it's the voice of the inner critic, jealousy, reactivity, or anxiety, just remembering to pause and be a caretaker of your mind. This really is a moment of choice, when you notice that pattern. So, you know, just notice any emotions that are arising. And then when you're ready, just redirect your attention back to the present moment, back to something more nourishing and uplifting.

So that's the invitation for practice today. Be a caretaker of your mind. And as always thank you for your practice and your presence here in this community, with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.