Vacation for the Mind
Ever wonder what it would be like for the mind to go on vacation? When we think of the word vacation, what comes to mind is often traveling to some paradise somewhere Vacations give us a break and allow us to renew ourselves.
Can the mind take a vacation? Not a fantasy vacation, but a real one. The word vacation has its roots in the word vacate. So a vacation of the mind then can be thought of as vacating the mind. Or emptying the mind.
Meditation is like a vacation for the mind. Our minds are in a constant state of flux, ever changing, jumping around from one thought to the next. For most of us, the only time the mind falls quiet is during sleep.
If we operated our bodies the same way we operated our mind we would have collapsed from exhaustion a long time ago.
When our mind is never given the opportunity to take a vacation, it can suffer from all sorts of problems. When we allow the mind to continuously run, unchecked and unsupervised, our trains of thought become a runaway train we can't stop.
As this runaway train accelerates, we can experience all sorts of unhealthy, or unpleasant states from fears to anxieties to regret, to anger, hatred, jealousy and so on. Our mind will run on and on, keeping us awake at night. In extreme cases, this can even lead to mental and emotional issues.
For the health and well being of our mind, body and soul, it is every bit as important to take a mind vacation as it is to take a physical vacation. So take the time to meditate, learn to quiet the mind.
Learn to see the mind for what it is, even when it isn't very pleasant, and understand how and why your mind thinks the way it does. Learn to know yourself and you will be rewarded with all of the benefits of a real vacation; solitude, relaxation, peace and quiet.
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| Michael L. Fournier |
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