| There is a classic childhood game that can help | | | | responding. It will continue to respond this way |
| you with your meditation dramatically.... | | | | unless you create some space and begin to let it |
| The Quiet Game! | | | | go... |
| Many of us struggle with negative inner dialogue | | | | It can be very challenging to do this for two |
| or just a constant inner chatter. It is a consistent | | | | reasons: |
| challenge that arises in meditation for beginners as | | | | |
| well. While attempting to focus and relax, the mind | | | | 1. It is what you are used to doing anyway. |
| will continue to chatter, question, complain, etc. | | | | 2. It is what everybody else is doing as well. |
| The quiet game is a powerful way to reduce and | | | | When you first begin to experiment with letting |
| eliminate this. | | | | go of the need to respond, it will be challenging |
| Just like when you were a kid, imagine locking | | | | because it is something new. When you begin to |
| your mouth shut, and throwing away the keys. | | | | practice this around other people, it will be even |
| Then take a moment to enjoy the silence.... | | | | harder... if someone speaks to you, smiles at you, |
| If you do this for a few minutes you might begin | | | | or just looks at you, it will almost always |
| to realize that letting go of conditioned response | | | | generate some sort of response in you... and it |
| (the neuro chemical 'you'), can be as easy as | | | | can be very challenging to let go of that response. |
| giving yourself permission, or giving yourself a | | | | Back to the quiet game. |
| command! | | | | How to play the Quiet game: Pick an arbitrary |
| Give yourself permission! | | | | amount of time... 5 minutes seems like a great |
| You might be able to notice your conditioned | | | | place to start. It can help to begin using this |
| response imposing its will upon you. When | | | | exercise with a group. When the whole group is |
| someone says something, and you feel the need | | | | performing the exercise... it feels more 'okay' to |
| to respond. When something does not go your | | | | practice the exercise. As quickly as possible, |
| way and you get angry. When you feel | | | | move to doing this exercise by yourself. As much |
| uncomfortable just knowing that a situation you | | | | as it helps, you should go through the ritual of |
| do not like might be coming up in the future. All of | | | | locking your lips and storing the key somewhere. |
| these are examples, but there are many more. It | | | | Since you are playing a game, it is okay to not |
| is valuable to note that once you have created an | | | | respond, to wait to respond, or to respond in a |
| environment (take anger for example), then all | | | | way that defies your impulse... each of these |
| your responses will be influenced by that | | | | three options can be an incredible meditation on its |
| environment (e.g. when you get home, you might | | | | own. The primary points are as follows. |
| be angry about the traffic, but when your | | | | |
| significant other asks you what is wrong, you | | | | 1. Pay attention to the impulses that arise. |
| reply "Nothing!" rather venomously). Conditioned | | | | 2. Since they are not part of the game, allow |
| response can be even more subtle than this... do | | | | them to loosen their grip on you, or if you like, |
| you ever consider the impetus to respond when | | | | you can just completely let them go! |
| asked a question? | | | | 3. Keep going, keep playing, keep smiling! |
| This is the way your mind-body is accustomed to | | | | |