If mental stories arise. focus on the delightful experience by using your verbal mind to silently name the physical and emotional feelings . This technique pulls attention away from narratives and allows you to let go of our mind. This is one way to deal with the Monkey mind.

My delightful experience is doing the crossword puzzles daily. It’s supposed to be an intellectual pursuit. It activates the memory. But for me it is a pleasant way of letting go of unnecessary chatter of fears and anxieties. It’s a shamanic way of repatterning my thoughts.

I’m not alone in using crossword puzzles as a meditative pastime. This is confirmed by one of my books The Zen of Crossword Puzzles. I’ve read about David Cook of American Idol doing crossword puzzles before he won and continues to do so.

For over a month now Emil has been bringing me daily except on Sundays the 3 major broadsheets plus my favorite Los Angeles Times crossword found in a not-so-popular newspaper with a small circulation. Of course, I’m delighted.

I manage to completely answer the 4 puzzles daily except for fully difficult ones usually on Fridays or Saturdays. For quite some time now I surprisingly get difficult answers after I nap. It’s true. A relaxed mind is an inspired mind. Answers simply come from nowhere. Funny I may be staring at the puzzle grid and I can read the answers from inside usually from the back of my head! Continue reading →