Question: “I’ve been having trouble controlling my thoughts. I just get overwhelmed with them and I’ve been trying to calm my mind. Have any tips?”
“Calming our mind” does not mean controlling our thoughts. With all the controlling you’re trying to do, has it helped and gotten you anywhere? No, because that’s not how it works. Calming our mind means understanding our mind. We “control” our thoughts by acknowledging them, know they’re there, and let it go!
Our mind constantly wants attention, that’s why it’s always filled with a million thoughts ALL the time! So when a thought arises during meditation and we start playing with it because we’re trying to control it and make it go away, it plays back harder and it’s more difficult for it to actually go away.
Instead, when a thought arises, we basically say hello to it, acknowledge the thought without entertaining it (meaning, adding to it and playing out the scene) and naturally just let it go. It might feel like more thoughts arise by doing this, which will probably happen, but that’s just our mind trying to get your attention. Eventually, with LOTS of practice, our mind will get the point and less and less thoughts will arise.
Smile and be well!