Noticing negative thoughts

[Jenna]

BiosattvA

Thanks for your post. I would really struggle with the lemon visualisation as for me visualisation is impossible I just can't do it.

Today is a particularly rough day for me. I did a formal practice and all it did was make me cry. I'm finding this week that exploring these thoughts is too hard for me and even labelling them is too tough


I'm trying to keep myself busy cos I do not have an environment where I can explore these feelings

[Gareth]

I did a formal practice and all it did was make me cry.

I wouldn't say that this is a bad thing. If you need to cry, then you need to cry. I don't know, but I'm sure that an outpouring of emotion is a very normal thing to happen for someone that is beginning the practice.

This is a difficult and very alien thing to do for a mind that is not used to it. Go easy on yourself and keep practising.

[Jenna]

Gareth

Thanks for the support. I think I have been noticing it a lot more and hence it 'feels' like im going 'backwards' but I am also aware that paradoxically I am noticing it more which is progress.

Confused? I am.

Going to read some more of my book tonight and write a new blog post this weekend.

[piedwagtail91]

hi jenna
don't feel bad about crying .
if you've been blocking emotions for a long time then they will start to come out.
try not to give yourself a hard time over it.
it is progress, you're in touch with your emotions.
it's difficult but do try to stay with it.
it took me a few months to get used to 'having emotions' again but though it's difficult, in the long run it's worth it.
mindfulness is about being with or accepting both the good and what can be considered bad or unpleasant.
good luck.
mick

[Vixine]

I am sorry you're having a rough day Jenna. I agree with others, crying is okay and probably a good thing is that is what you need to do. It is very uncomfortable to feel those feelings, but you can learn through mindfulness that those feelings are okay and not necessarily something to be scared of or run from. You have to have a balance I think, sometimes allowing the feelings to wash over you and other times focusing on easier things to get some relief. Hope you feel better soon.

[BioSattva]

Yes - there is nothing wrong with crying. It's just a release of built-up energy.

As long as one does the practice at all, there will always be progress. One can't wander through the landscape of one's mind and body without becoming more familiar with where the various metaphorical 'watering holes', best look-out points, and sources of nourishment are located - it's instinctive to identify and 'use' these things. To get to know these places we have to actively explore the territory, however.

I would really struggle with the lemon visualisation as for me visualisation is impossible I just can't do it.

It's just a little experiement to become more aware of the mind-body connection. Any kind of fantasy or prediction works just as well - I'm sure you have anticipated eating something delicious, and your mouth has watered, for example. This is all the eating the lemon visualisation is pointing to - that watever is in the mind affects the body physically. It also works in the other direction - from the body to the mind - if we sit with an undignified posture, for example, we can easily get undignified thoughts, or if we are hungry or tired, we may have more negative thoughts than usual. Looking after our bodies is as important as looking after our minds in this respect.

[SharrySteve1]

In my humble opinion as I am new learner in mindfulness, building of thoughts in our mind, either by us or coming from other sources, is beyond our control, but we can respond to them in the best possible way.

First and the most effective step is to fully accept and acknowledge that thoughts occur. What does accepting and acknowledging the thoughts mean? It simply means, practising heartfelt gratitude for thoughts. Only then we can be able to effortlessly detach from bad thoughts. But it requires practise.

What is acknowledging thoughts?
1) You realise that the thought that popped into your mind had to happen
2) You had no control over stopping that thought because you were caught off guard. If you had control or you were aware, you wouldn't allow that negative thought to enter your mind. The idea is to accept our limitations gracefully. The idea is also to accept that "we are not perfect" - Our mind loves to portray itself as perfect and it always looks to dissect things into their minute details, which means, it never wants to reach the ultimate goal, which is contentment, ease, happiness or fulfilment.
3) You realise that you were not entitled to good thoughts. Be grateful that the negative thought wasn't that bad or evil. It could have gone from bad to worse (suicidal thoughts, extremely depressive and gloomy thoughts could have intruded our mind from any source)

Growing up in a religious family (Muslim) and now an avid learner of mindfulness, I had had the chance to read theory on how thinking works (in Sufi tradition), not just regular prayers and chanting to fight off bad thoughts, but also the nature of negative thoughts, thoughts coming from unknown sources, and the thoughts created by own mind (self).

[Peter]

Welcome to the forum, SharrySteve1.
Great explanation, and introduction. *thumbs up*

[SharrySteve1]

Welcome to the forum, SharrySteve1.
Great explanation, and introduction. *thumbs up*

Thanks. Peter