Your mind, the ocean floor

‘𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐯𝐫𝐭𝐭𝐢 𝐧𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐡’ | 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 — 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝟏.𝟐

Imagine yourself to be like the ocean.

Your centre, your core, your true self – beneath all the layers and beneath all the labels – is the ocean floor. Quiet, still and undisturbed.

On the surface at any given time, there are ripples and waves, moving tides and activity – constantly affected by the weather and external elements. Think of the surface of the ocean as your thoughts, reactions and distractions.

But amidst all this chaos, the bottom of the ocean remains undisturbed.

This is the practice – we are not ignoring all that is happening on the surface, and we are not pretending it is not there. We are simply allowing it to be as it is, whilst remaining in our centre, calm and undisturbed.

When you find yourself getting caught up in all the activity above, use your breath as a tool to bring you back, time and time again. Each breath brings you closer to your centre.

Reminder – it’s a practice. Don’t beat yourself up when you get caught up in the chaos. Maybe hang out there a while if you feel like you need to be there, and then keep trying.