Optimize the Monkey Mind: Gemini
Have you ever come up with to-do lists in bed? Many of us have hung out unwillingly with the Monkey Mind, the Buddhist term for unsettled, restless inner chatter. Often we just want to plan ahead or figure something out so we can proceed. Somehow overwhelm sails in as if the monkeys multiplied. How can we work with that?
Astrology connects us to cycles in nature and gives a perspective to consider life. On May 20, 2021, the sun enters communicative, mind-oriented air sign of Gemini. Like the temperature of late spring, this energy shifts quickly from warm to hot and vice versa. Gemini’s domain includes learning, writing, speaking, and thinking. The student archetype that devours information and wants to chat about it.
The shadow of Gemini manifests in what-ifs and endless analysis, the Monkey Mind. Cultivating a supportive inner dialogue can be a lifesaver. Here’s a process to hone the light side of Gemini – inquisitiveness, nimbleness, and communication.
Acknowledge it. The Monkey is busy telling you things. Say hello to it, give it a name and ask it to sit at the corner of your mind.
Be curious. What is the Monkey trying to protect you from? Observe the fear or shadow. The embarrassment of being unprepared has had a place in my consciousness. As a child I was ranked in school and among cousins by teachers and family. In my example the fear is feeling unworthy. What might yours be when the Monkey visits? Invite your favorite superhero to kindly address the Monkey.
Whose voice is it? Sensitives and empaths also pick up others’ feelings as their own. Ask: Is the Monkey’s urgent call coming from your heart or intuition? Or from another person or the saboteurs – those inside voices that judge, want to please, or achieve at all cost. If it’s your voice, thank the Monkey for the notice. If not, Monkey goes back to the corner. Stat.
Get out of the mind. Use all of your being to discern what to do. High-achieving, creative, and sensitive people often live in the mind. Check in with your heart, intuition, and body during cloudy inner weather. What do they say about the dilemma? During a life crisis, a friend thankfully kept bringing me back to the heart when I deep-ended on who said what, why, and what to do. The heart is an unflinching inner beacon. Use it. Also, some clients share that they feel happy tingling all over, or register a sense of certainty in their chest when something resonates.
Get quiet with the Monkey. When we sit and commune with the emotions that arise from the angst, they will likely lose power. Set the intention of releasing the Monkey. Try the chakra meditation using violet light or Reiki here. If help is needed, please reach out for it. We don’t have to do everything alone.
No topic hopping. If you indulge the Monkey and resolve one issue, congratulate yourself and move on. Hitting the next item on the list feeds the Monkey. Take a break. Doing something differently builds new neural pathways.
Some questions to foster loving self-talk and befriend the Monkey:
- How do you greet yourself in the morning? What do you say to yourself at bedtime?
- What do you tell yourself when you mess up? What language or tone do you use?
- How will you encourage yourself when things get hard?
- How do you celebrate your successes, big or small?
Book recommendation: Monkey is the Messenger by Ralph De La Rosa
A Fun Way to Help!
Seeking 5 people to interview about a self-relationship program I am designing. Topics include the mind-body connection, Reiki, the inner child, and the astrological sun sign. Pure market research with no obligations. In exchange for 30 minute of your time, you get 30 minutes of life coaching or an intuitive reading and healing. Please share, email, or contact me via Connect2Self.com. Thanks so much.
