The Mind Knows Its Own Way Home

You've probably been taught to simply accept that the mind wanders. What we're not often taught is to recognize that for every time the mind becomes distracted, it also comes back to mindfulness again, and that it does this without prompting.

Recognizing this helps us to deepen our trust in the mind, and to give it credit for bringing us back on track.

Transcript

So today,

What I suggest is that you take on board that for every time your mind goes wandering involuntarily off into some distracted train of thought,

For every time it does that,

It comes back to mindful awareness.

And it does this spontaneously.

Your mind knows its own way home.

So we tend to focus much more on the fact that the mind goes away from mindful attention.

And we tend to ignore the fact that it always comes back home again.

So we're going to integrate that awareness into our practice today.

So,

As always,

Making sure that we're sitting in a way that's kind,

That's dignified.

Just checking in with the eyes,

Which I recommend that you have closed.

Just allowing the muscles around the eyes to soften,

To be at rest.

Letting your focus behind your closed eyelids be soft,

Almost as if you're staring into space.

Just recalling what it's like to look with love,

To look with kindness.

And just noticing how with relaxed eyes you can be more aware of the body in an expansive way.

Not just aware of one small part of the body,

Such as the breath flowing through the airways.

But you can be aware in a relaxed and easy way,

If the eyes are relaxed and soft,

Of many sensations of the breathing at the same time.

Perhaps aware of the whole upper body,

Front,

Sides,

Moving outward,

Upward as we breathe in,

And relaxing back to center as we breathe out.

And observing this with the same kindly,

Warm,

Appreciative,

Open-hearted attitude,

With which we look lovingly at someone who is precious to us.

And whenever you realize that the mind has been wandering,

Recognize that that moment of awareness is when your attention has come back home to mindful awareness.

Recognizing every time you come out of a period of distraction,

That the mind knows its own way home.

And just continuing in this way for the rest of this period of practice.

Reviews

Thank you 🙏
Yes, "it" does, doesn't it.
And each time I seem to come "home" to that peaceful expanded space that's so familiar and yet seemingly elusive when I'm trying to get there.
Thank you for pointing out that shift in perspective from having been lost in thought (tut-tut) to feeling that Yes, indeed we do know our way home. 💚

What freedom in realising that the mind knows its way home. Presence right there. Thank you Bodhipaksha 🙏🏻