There has been a lot said in recent years on the concept of 'mental health'.

Many well intentioned public figures, apps and platforms have promoted the idea of 'mindfulness' as a way to greater wellbeing.

All of this, however, is built on a false premise, that somehow we can 'control our minds'. 

I've heard almost every yoga teacher I've had a class with say something along the lines of 'you control your mind, don't let the mind control you'.

If you've ever truly sat there and tried to control every thought your mind has, then you'd quickly find out that it's nigh on impossible to do.

Trying to control the mind is like wrestling with a pig...you end up dirty, and the pig enjoys it.

The mind cannot be controlled - it can only be OBSERVED

Meditation is an essential for any human. For me it's a regular non negotiable part of my existence.

When we meditate, we simply observe the stream of thoughts as they occur, and don't assign the thoughts we have any value.

About 99% of what we actually think is merely the mind running its algorithms.

The mind is nothing more than (a very powerful) predictive problem solving mechanism. It's also not where we do our best, most creative work. 

Flow is when the mind steps to one side, and intuition, instinct and feeling takes over. It's what we all strive for as True Artists, that feeling of getting out of our own way 

This week, do not grapple for control of your mind. Simply step back, observe the mind, and don't get overly involved. Meditate for 5 mins before you start a studio session - make it a ritual. You'll soon be out of your own way and flowing beautifully

Much Love

Paul x

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