Carol Plumley: Stream of Consciousness

If you want to still your anxiety, there is a simple technique you can do right now. It will calm you down, focus your mind, and energize you. First I'll tell you how to do the exercise, and then I'll explain a little bit about why it works.

Sit comfortably in a chair, on the floor, or lay down. Close your eyes and imagine that you're sitting on the bank of a river. The river is flowing smoothly before you. Every time you have a thought about something, imagine the thought as a leaf floating on the river. The leaf flows into view, floats past you, and then flows on out of view. Another thought arises, another leaf appears, and another leaf disappears.

You can do it for as long as you like. If you only have sixty seconds between meetings, you can step into the bathroom or the broom closet and use this technique to get you ready for the rest of your day. Or you can do it before bed to help you sleep.

There are three levels to this exercise. First, you're training your mind to step back from your thoughts. Many people spend many years completely identified with their thoughts. This is to say that they believe all of their thoughts. "I feel like eating a bag of chips," one thinks, and instantly they're up looking for chips. Do they need a bag of chips? Can they afford it? Is it good for them? None of that matters. They thought "I need chips," and they just went with it. At this level, it's not a big deal, but continuing in this way of being can lead us to be completely out of control.

Next, the river exercise teaches you to focus your mind. After you detach from your thought, you focus your mind on the visualization. This exercises your ability to control your own mind. What's more: it affirms to your mind that you are in control of your thoughts, and that your thoughts are not in control of you. When anxiety attacks, or in a genuine crisis, this can be a very valuable ability to have. You may find yourself able to remain calm and be a great help to others in a crisis.

Beyond all of this, the river exercise makes room for your authentic self to step forward. Most of our thoughts are reflections for fears of the past repeating itself. Others are desires for the future. Still others are the influences of other people, the things that we have been told we need to be–or to suppress– in order to be accepted by others. None of these things are your true self. Once you recognize these thoughts for what they are, they cease to have power over you. All it takes is one moment of complete clarity to recognize your authentic self and start living from that as your center.

So go ahead and try this exercise for sixty seconds. You can try setting a timer. Simply sit down, close your eyes, and see each thought that arises as a leaf floating away downriver. It may be difficult at first! Some people find it difficult to visualize at all. After a few seconds though, your river will be clear before you, and your thoughts will float away. Then you will have a taste of the peace that you always were.

Thank you so much for reading!

Peace!

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