Hello.
Welcome to Ablaze Mental Training.
Before we get started with today's exercise,
Just as we always do,
Let's find a comfortable position,
Whether it's seated or lying down.
And just allow your body to fully settle.
Once you've done this,
Let's take a slow breath in through your nose and an exhale out our mouth.
Again,
Slow inhale through our nose and fully exhale through our mouth.
Start to notice if there's any tension in your body.
Let your shoulders drop and just let your body become still.
Today,
We are setting our hearts ablaze to the idea of stillness and the power of boredom in today's world.
Not as something to avoid,
But as something to use and to understand.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Not to control it,
But just to observe.
Notice the natural rhythm of your breath through the inhale,
The brief pause at the top,
And the exhale.
Your mind may begin searching for stimulation,
Something to do,
Something to think about,
Or something to engage in.
This is normal.
We've trained our minds to constantly seek input,
Noise,
Distraction,
Movement.
But right now,
You are doing something different.
You are choosing to be still.
If that's difficult for you or uncomfortable,
Don't get upset at yourself.
This is how we've trained our brains and our bodies in today's culture and society.
It's always on to the next thing.
What's next?
Whether it's on our phones,
At work,
Anywhere really.
Going against that status quo and how we've conditioned our brains can be uncomfortable.
But just like being sore after the gym,
Stepping outside of your comfort zone is where growth happens.
I want you to notice what happens when nothing is happening.
When there is no phone,
No music,
No external stimulation.
The mind may label this as boredom or restlessness,
Or as I just explained,
Discomfort.
Boredom is not the problem.
Boredom is the signal.
It is what appears when the mind is no longer being fed constant distraction.
Most people today run from this feeling.
They reach for their phone,
They fill the silence,
They avoid the stillness.
But in doing so,
They never learn how to listen.
Instead of resisting this space,
I want you to lean into it.
Stay here with nothing to do and nowhere to go.
Begin to notice your internal world,
Your thoughts,
Your body,
Your breathing.
This is where your awareness begins.
Not in more stimulation,
But in stillness.
When you turn off the world and distraction,
You begin to turn on and develop your awareness.
This can be a difficult practice for people,
And that is totally normal.
Once again,
That is the conditioning or the training habits or patterns that we fall into every single day.
If your mind wanders or it begins to drift,
Just bring your attention back to your breath again and again.
This is the training.
Not eliminating the thoughts,
Feelings,
Or distraction,
But being able to return to a place of stillness,
Regardless of where your mind or body is pulled.
Boredom becomes the environment where focus is built.
Just like physical training requires resistance,
Mental training requires stillness.
And most people never stay here long enough to develop that strength.
As you remain here,
Notice your body beginning to settle,
Your breath becoming slower,
Your nervous system becoming calmer.
When you step away from constant stimulation,
Your nervous system has a chance to reset.
Your sympathetic nervous system is the system that tries to protect us,
That releases adrenaline,
That increases our heart rate,
Increases blood flow to vital organs.
Due to the way we condition our brains,
That system is typically turned on more often and longer than needed.
In bringing yourself to a state of stillness,
It's telling that system to turn off.
That in turn activates our parasympathetic nervous system.
That system slows us down,
It decreases our heart rate,
Slows our breathing,
Helps us release tension and tight muscles,
And activates that rest and recovery part of our body.
The more you practice this,
The more you begin to feel grounded,
Centered,
And in control of these systems.
Now in this quiet space,
Bring your awareness to something deeper.
Your internal direction.
Something that we introduced last episode,
Your internal compass.
It doesn't speak loudly,
And it doesn't compete for attention.
It exists beneath the noise.
When you slow down enough,
When you remove distraction,
You begin to feel it.
Maybe subtle,
But it's present.
This is where alignment begins.
Not by forcing answers,
But by creating space to hear them.
Let's take another slow breath in together,
And a steady breath out.
Boredom is not something to escape.
It is something to train within.
It is the doorway to a deeper awareness,
To focus,
And to clarity.
The more comfortable you become in stillness,
The more powerful your mind becomes.
When you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes or bring yourself back to where you're at.
I want you to carry this awareness with you.
And know that you can train this anywhere.
Have a great day.
