We are thinking creatures. And have been blessed to be so. We are able to think, to process, to be conscious living beings.

Having beautiful complex brains also means thinking. A lot. Sometimes the mind is like a riot of thoughts, noisy demonstrations for all sorts of causes. It can be distracting, to say the least.

I can’t help but hear my teacher’s voice in my head, “Too much is thinking is there…”

In our yoga practice, we often sometimes aim to “get out of the mind,” to quiet the thoughts in order to find peace and stillness within.

But what does that mean really “getting out of mind” when our main tool for doing so is the mind itself?

Our mind, the faculties of the mind, are important to finding equanimity. We cannot just simply get out of our head. But we can focus our thoughts, our efforts into one stream as we practice. And that mindful awareness makes us more present.

The result is a robust mental experience, where one’s focus moves in one flowing direction, and other extraneous thoughts either fall away or are absorbed into this one stream.

This is yoga. A balance of opposites. The fullness of thought, the practice of attention, creates spaciousness in the mind. And in such fullness, the mind is not so much empty, but definitely more quiet.

Photo: Darb 1718 in Old Cairo. I will be sharing inner dance and ashtanga workshops in the yoga space near here soon! Watch out for announcements.