One of Monique's students wrote to her this week and asked her how she takes care of her mental health.
As today is World Mental Health Day, we thought you might like to read her reply.
“I actually do a lot of things on a daily basis to take care of my mind. I have a series of practises that I use on different days. But here are a couple of things I do that you might find helpful.”
“It’s so fascinating to me that we spend so much of our time taking care of the things outside of us. We wake up every morning and take care of our bodies. We clean our teeth, we shower, we take care of and clean our homes, our offices and workplaces. But we don’t live in our bodies, in our homes, in our offices. The place we actually live is inside our minds. And so its vital we take care of our minds the same way we take care of our bodies, our homes and our workplaces.”
“One of the main things I try to be careful of is what I put into my mind. Allowing a lot of fearful information into my mind is like allowing a bear in when it knocks on my front door. Who would do that? Or drinking 10 sodas in a day. I know it’s harder for us to see the cumulative affects of what we put into our minds but don’t think for a minute that it doesn’t have the same affect.”
“Of course I meditate each day so that there is good energy going into my mind. It’s the best way to start my day and I really notice a difference when I miss the odd day. I am always a lot calmer and happier when I have done my daily practise.”
“I also like to create an intention for the day, something that I focus on as a practise. It might be watching the things I say or practising being kind to people I don’t know. I love doing something new each day to integrate my meditation into my daily life. It keeps it alive and relevant.”
“But most importantly remember we are what we think. So do everything you can to keep a healthy mind by watching what you put into it!”
With love,
Monique