The Wandering Mind: Psychology + Yogic Philosophy
With Cait ChickIf 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
A look into the workings of the mind through the lens of yogic philosophy & psychology.
About this course
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
Meet your Teacher
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 this, Cait has spent years teaching yoga, mindfulness, and somatic practices in both group and one-on-one settings. Her teaching style emphasises curiosity, emotional regulation, and compassionate awareness, helping students develop a sustainable and practical relationship with their own minds.