As I sat in my corner chair praying from a new book of Lenten devotions, I heard the wind. It gusted and howled, but then settled into a constant low-pitched rumble, like a train. I began to listen intently to the eerie noise and very soon became absorbed in a conversation with myself…
I wonder if this is the same sound people hear when a tornado is coming near—seems like tornado victims always say they heard a train noise as the tornado got closer to them.
But no tornado would ever come here. And if it did, I suppose we would get a warning on the phone ahead of time.
What should my husband and I do if it really was a tornado?
I guess the safest place to go would be the hall bathroom because it has no windows and is far from the tall trees in the backyard. Yes…we would be safe if we hunkered down in the bathtub.
But how long would we have to stay there? Would we need water?
I know…I could pick up the empty two-liter soda bottle we keep in the bedroom to refill the vaporizer. Hopefully I’d have time to make it to the kitchen to fill it with filtered water.
Oh yes, I have to take the chicken out of the freezer for tonight…
About this time I realized I had lost track of what I was praying, even though I was still mouthing the words I was reading. I pulled myself back to full consciousness— and to my prayers. I wondered how long I had been focusing on my random thoughts instead of my prayers.
Here is how I understand this kind of mental multitasking. I see myself as a beautiful red double decker bus. This bus has two levels—the two levels of my mind. My lower level mind is calm and comfortable, resting in its usual seat and concentrating on my new book. But then my upper level “monkey mind” gets busy on the second floor of the bus—and takes over. That monkey jumps around the open-air upper level, tears down the aisle, hangs on to the window edge to stare outside, or crouches on the floor to scrutinize the colorful candy wrappers. In my example, the monkey pondered tornadoes— while my lower level mind sat in its seat holding my book, saying the words but comprehending nothing. It takes just a random thought, word, or sound to spur the monkey mind into action—in my example, it was the sound of the wind. Once they get going, our monkey minds usually stay active, fed by our anxiety, fear, anger, resentment, curiosity, or boredom.
About ten years ago I first became aware of how much time I spend up in my head, worrying or planning. Examples are: when I realized I had missed the entire Gospel at Mass, only jerking back to the present when the lector ended with “the Word of the Lord”; when I recognized how I wasn’t really listening to my friend because I was preparing my detailed response; or when I got to the end of a page and had no idea what I had just read.
I’m convinced I became aware of my double-decker thinking because of changes in my brain brought about by two spiritual practices. The first is a Christian meditative prayer called Centering Prayer, a quiet and receptive prayer without words or thoughts. The second is praying in the moment, an on-the-go prayer that I describe as God-centered mindfulness. It relies on a prayer phrase oft repeated during the day.
Praying in the moment initially required me to intentionally call upon my chosen prayer words, “My Lord and my God,” any time I noticed I was starting to worry, judge, wallow in negative thoughts, obsessively plan the future, or in some way be distracted from the present moment. With practice and time, my prayer words began to miraculously pop into my conscious mind when I had a negative thought, felt stressed, or got distracted. The words would bring me back into the present and to God. Each time I’d take a deep breath and return to what I was doing.
I embraced these two prayer practices to bring me closer to God, but a secondary benefit has been the slowing down of my overactive brain, which made it a little easier to stay in the moment—on the first level of the bus. I believe this has helped me listen better and be less reactive and more able to intentionally respond to the ever-present stresses and distractions that so easily can pull me away from the present moment.
The key is quiet time. Daily practices like prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, and walking in nature will gradually change our brains to make it easier for us to stay mindful of each moment. We will gradually be able to respond to stressors in a mindful way instead of mindlessly reacting to them with actions or with a whirlwind of thoughts. I find this to be extraordinary. The end result is that we will enjoy more peace of mind, better relationships with God and our fellow men, and even better health.
SUGGESTIONS:
Mindfulness practices, both spiritual and secular, are readily available. Here are some I like: Christians Do Meditate, my interview with Carl McColman; or Simple Practices for Daily Life. My advice is to choose something very simple to start. For example, commit ten minutes a day for a silent walk or quiet reflection in a dedicated space. Reevaluate weekly and remember it takes about 4-6 weeks to establish a habit. For me, an early morning time has been key to being consistent.
2. Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean-Pierre Caussade is a special book that helped me better understand the sacred gift of each moment. The language is a bit ornate and sometimes repetitive, but it is in my all-time top-three book list.
3. If you want to learn more about the health benefits of meditation, read Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson.
4. I often get asked about the prayer practices that I mentioned in this blog. You might be interested in this short video I made about the two prayer practices I described.
God Bless.
Dr. Donna Chacko promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website (serenityandhealth.com), her blog, and programs at her church. She is the author of the award-winning book and Amazon best-seller Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (Luminare Press, 2021). You can read her full bio here.
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