I went for a walk this morning for the second time in about two months. I was anxious and the chattering monkeys inside my head would not be silenced. My goal was to walk to the bus stop. I managed 30 minutes going at a snail’s pace. My plan is to walk every morning no matter how I feel. I know I should be walking because exercise is good for me. Even with a spur on the top of my right foot and a disintegrating right knee, I’ll soldier on.
Chattering monkeys is the constant chatter of the mind that never stops. It is sort of like an inner voice that constantly analyzes everything about your life, circumstances, and the people you meet.
I was trying to distract myself from unhelpful thoughts on my walk so I listened to the birds. I thought I heard and saw a Channel Billed Cuckoo I wasn’t sure. I saw a lone Yellow-Tailed Cockatoo with its slow wing beat and heard but did not see the beautiful Wonga Pigeon.
The chattering monkeys continued so I tried to calm my mind by focusing my senses on what was around me as I walked. Buddha said if you will spend some time each day in quiet meditation simply calm your mind by focusing on your breathing or a simple mantra you can, over time, tame the chattering monkeys. They will grow more peaceful. Apparently, you can do a walking meditation too.
My thoughts can affect how I feel. Thought-stopping helps me to change how I think so that I feel better. It is a challenge to stop the chattering monkeys. I’m trying hard sometimes it’s exhausting. There are many articles about the monkeys in your head. Here is a link to one of them.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/buddha-how-to-tame-your-m_b_945793
I am very tired but determined to tame my monkeys. Here is one of the photos I took of a monkey in Yalla National Park Sri Lanka.
tbs2539 