4 dias

The Wandering Mind: Psychology + Yogic Philosophy

Por Cait Chick

O que você irá aprender

If you’ve ever sat down to meditate and thought, "I’m bad at this. My mind won’t stop wandering." This course is for you. Mind wandering is a feature of the human brain. Research shows that nearly half of our waking life is spent thinking about something other than what we’re doing. The mind drifts. It plans. It replays. It worries. It imagines. In this course, we explore mind wandering through both modern psychology and yogic philosophy. You’ll learn what’s happening in your brain when your mind drifts, why it often drifts toward stress or self-criticism, and how to work with it instead of against it. Rather than trying to “stop” your thoughts, you’ll learn how to gently redirect attention, create psychological distance from mental stories, and build a more compassionate relationship with your own mind. By the end of this course, you will: * Understand why mind wandering happens from both a neuroscientific and yogic perspective * Recognise the role of the Default Mode Network in self-referential thinking * Identify the five types of citta vṛtti (mental fluctuations) in their own experience * Understand attention systems * Learn how to use neutral labelling in meditation

Cait Chick

Cape Town, South Africa

Cait is a wellness counsellor, yoga teacher, and meditation guide with over a decade of teaching experience. Her work integrates modern psychology with classical yogic philosophy, offering a grounded and accessible approach to meditation. She holds a postgrad in Psychology and has formal training in counselling and mental health support. Alongside...

Lição 1

A Wandering Mind

In this opening lesson, we explore why mind wandering happens and why it is not a failure. Drawing from psychology and yogic philosophy, you’ll learn about the brain’s Default Mode Network, the research showing how often our minds drift, and the ancient metaphor of the “Monkey Mind.” Together, these perspectives help normalise distraction and reframe it as a natural function of the human mind. This lesson lays the foundation for understanding meditation not as stopping thoughts, but as learning to relate to them differently.

Lição 2

Citta Vritti And The Nature Of Fluctuations

In this lesson, we explore the mechanics of mind wandering through the lens of yogic psychology. You’ll learn about citta vrtti (the fluctuations or “whirls” of the mind) and the five categories of mental activity described in the Yoga Sutras. We’ll also examine viksepa, the scattering force that pulls attention away from the present moment. This lesson helps you recognise that distraction is not random, but patterned and understandable.

Lição 3

Mind Wandering And Attention

Lesson Three focuses on how attention works and how it shapes emotional experience. Drawing from the Triple Attention Model, we explore the alerting, orienting, and executive networks and how they interact with the brain’s alarm system. You’ll learn how mindful awareness strengthens top-down regulation and reduces emotional reactivity. This lesson reframes meditation as attention training rather than thought suppression.

Lição 4

Neutral Labelling

In the final lesson, you’ll learn the practical technique of neutral labelling. This method helps create psychological distance from thoughts and emotions, transforming mind wandering into an opportunity for awareness. Drawing from neuroscience and yogic philosophy, this lesson shows how naming mental events strengthens attention, reduces reactivity, and supports a more balanced, compassionate meditation practice.

Cait Chick's Collection

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