My 4-day detox to calm monkey mind on a southwest adventure.
After a long weekend wedding, last June a group of us drove to Keepers of the Wild and trekked out to the Hoover Dam for a long-day-cation before ending our night in Sin City (dizzying eye-roll at the irony).
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It was breathtaking (and I learned so much about conservation efforts). But I won’t lie, I was worried that four days away from chaos and dysfunction wasn’t enough to calm monkey mind.
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Don’t get me wrong — every damn day I’d wake up in relief at how free, happy, clear, and safe I felt. But I’m not Meatloaf. I’d do anything for “love”- including removing my own boundaries and shelving my identity.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but not now.
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The trip itself was semi-spontaneous, but our days were pretty busy. Downtime was spent at the pool, exploring the desert, visiting museums, a safari.
I was never alone
…except on the late evening drive from Vegas and Kingman, Arizona when Liam fell asleep.
Nor did I discuss the reality of my life with anyone.
Hence, the 4 days away potentially not being enough.
Spoiler alert… It was.
Wild Thoughts
This reminds me of one of the best analogies you often hear in yoga.
Buddha described people’s minds as having monkeys- screaming, shrieking, swinging from one thought to the next.
Our “monkey mind” is restless and relentless, instead of being chill and present.
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In his book, Quantum Healing, Deepak Chopra shares- the average person has about 65,000 thoughts per day– per fucking DAY! And that 95% of these thoughts are the same shit you were thinking about the day before.
… 🙋🏽♀️ uh huh. Who else?
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These thoughts are often over-analyzed hypotheticals based on hopes, fears, and life’s daily stressors. Things that haven’t happened and might not even happen are traipsing through our minds. Mind monkeys going ape shit.
Monkey Trainer
It’s not an easy feat- to calm monkey mind. But I can tell you from experience, there’s a lot of compassion, wisdom, wellness, and peace in learning to do so.
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In the hot oven heat of the desert, despite arriving “busy,” I was leaving aware and present. I was wholly with myself, my son, my family, my environment (even my thoughts and feelings).
I talked my mind monkeys down from their branches and within my reach. With deep breaths, I repeated my mantra- live intentionally seeking less overwhelm and more enrichment. With compassion, I held space for myself affirming- how I feel is not who I am.
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Much of how I thought and felt were projections of someone else’s self-worth and shame. This 4-day detox and monkey training exercise was what I needed.
Breathe
So next time you find your mind monkeys going ape shit, just breathe.
Who knows- it may end up being a sliding door moment that changes the trajectory of your life.
A few things-
- Check out my yoga site TheraPlaYoga.com. I’m writing there too. I’d love to know your thoughts.
- Leave me a comment here- What are your experiences with mind monkeys?
- Show this post some love by clicking the heart below and share if you feel moved to do so.
Thanks m’dear. Until next time.
xx Glo
P.S. The first time I heard Lizzo’s Love Hurts and Tove Lo’s Glad He’s Gone was on the drive from Vegas to Kingman. Both gave me life.
Fun fact: I named my car Lizzo (it’s a Kia Soul- do you get it?)
More pics just for fun!
