The Mischievous Monkey Mind

In yoga, we call it the “monkey mind” because the mind likes to run around and get us into all sorts of trouble, just like a mischievous monkey. It runs off into the past, looking for things we wish would have happened differently, so that we can stress about them. It runs off into the future, looking for things that might or might not happen, that we can worry about. We can end up feeling like we spend all our time thinking negative thoughts.

So, how do we tame the monkey mind? One of our best tools is to practice being present. There are many ways to get present from yoga practices to getting out in nature. Keeping the mind focused on the here and now defeats the monkey mind, and goes a long way toward reducing stress and supporting fertility.