Treat it Kindly
When we start a mindfulness practice, we quickly notice how our mind is just like a frisky, curious little puppy, who likes to sniff out any little thing, and make a mess of it!
We begin to train the puppy to sit, and stay. In the beginning, the puppy will sit for 1/2 second, and then leap away, or tug at your sleeve and begin to gnaw and play. But over time, the puppy learns to sit, and to stay – for a minute, a few minutes, and eventually a well-trained puppy can learn to stay for many minutes, even if you go around a corner, out of sight.
So when we begin to train our minds, they’re like a little puppy. We ask our mind nicely to sit, and just to stay with the breath. And maybe it will, for 1/2 a breath, before it leaps away and goes off into some mischief.
But if, with great kindness, we just patiently and continue to sit and stay, our mind will begin to relax. Eventually it will become less restless, and learn to be more calm and restful.
It’s supposed to take time. We’re only human, after all. So if it seems like your mind is always wandering, and it’s hard to stay with your breath, IT’S OK! It really is! It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong!
Puppies will scramble away and so will your mind. It’s just the nature of things.
So please be kind, be gentle, and trust yourself. And give that little puppy a hug! :-)
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