7 Ways to Quiet a Noisy Mind
The most important aspect of our entire day is how we start it.
There was a period of time in my life, when like autopilot, the first thing I would reach for upon waking was my cell phone.
I would then either scroll through Instagram or browse new e-mails or text messages I may have not seen yet from the previous evening.
Once finished I would then pull up one of my favorite sporting websites for a refresher on final scores and updates that I may have missed from the night before.
You may be wondering, ok what’s the problem?
Well, there really isn’t necessarily a problem per say, but as I learned more and more about the mind and how it’s most impressionable at two periods:
At the very beginning of the day (just upon us opening your eyes for the very first time)
In the evening (right when we close our eyes just prior to bed)
Whatever we start our day with is a filter to the energy we bring throughout it.
Now you may be saying, there’s nothing malicious about the particular routine I described above.
And you’d be right on a certain level.
It’s not as if I said I was immediately grabbing my phone to watch the news (which if you’re doing this, I lovingly would advise reconsidering it).
However, throughout the years of trying different practices and over time recognizing the importance of creating what I desire each and every morning from an intentional place, it dawned on me that that period is the absolutely most sacred and consistent part of all of my days.
I feel lighter than I’ve ever felt at any point in my life, more able and readily handle any and everything that appears before me, and the vast majority of the time (I’d say 90%) I genuinely feel in a state of deep and profound peace.
While there is no one size fits all approach, I’d like to share with you the “what” and “why” behind my present daily practice, and how it’s been a total gamechanger in all areas throughout my entire life.
Step 1 – Gratitude Practice
As soon as I open my eyes and become conscious that I’m awake, I immediately express love and appreciation for whatever comes to me then.
There’s no exact structure to the words, as I just feel into the moment, but here are a few phrases I often express (both internally then verbally):
“I am grateful for a beautiful night of sleep.”
“I am grateful for a new day to extend love.”
“I am grateful for living an abundant and peaceful life.”
“I am grateful for the divine gift of being alive and of pristine health.”
On my way from the bedroom to the kitchen I will continue to repeat whatever comes to me from a place of love and appreciation.
I then drink a couple glasses of spring water with a couple pinches of himalayan salt, as well as with half of a freshly squeezed lemon, to rehydrate my body and properly wake up and replenish my bodily systems (I like to call this an “inner bath).
Step 2 – Earthing
I then walk outside barefoot to connect with the grass or ground, and breath in fresh and natural air to revitalize my lungs.
You may be wondering why I walk barefoot.
I walk barefoot because it’s a natural way to connect us to the earth.
Like grounding an electrical system in your car, our bodies actually operate the same way.
The more we are connected to the ground (rather through our bare feet or even by touching a tree), the more natural of an upliftment of energy we’re provided.
I do this every morning for usually no more than about 3-5 minutes (while continuing to express gratitude and appreciation during this time too).
Step 3 – Journaling (brain dump + creation story)
Once back inside I grab my journal and do what I like to call a brain dump.
I put out any and everything that is on my mind (with no restrictions).
Maybe it’s thoughts lingering from the previous night that are still ruminating in the back of my psyche, or sometimes it’s emotions that I may need to express so I can actively get them from inside of my body to out on the paper.
On average I write anywhere from 3-5 pages.
Once finished, my mind feels lighter so I then begin doing what I call “creation writing.”
I first do a body scan and ask myself the question:
“What would I love to create?”
This question tunes me into my heart and by doing so, I know that whatever is channeled through me is coming from a pure and unconditional place.
Some examples could be:
“I would love to live in the country of ______.”
“I would love to finish my book before the end of the year.”
“I would love to create a committed and aligned client in my fourth continent.”
“I would love to create a meditation that could touch the lives of people all around the world.”
Over time, this continually activates the heart space into one where you’re able to see clearer and clearer each day, what your truest desires are (as well as distinctly see if certain ones keep reappearing).
A way to even enhance this by a level is to change the start of the sentence from “I would love” to “I am grateful for.”
Then you would be speaking your creations into the present moment and tapping into that energy in the now.
A couple examples could be:
“I am grateful for creating a client in my 4th continent.”
“I am grateful for living in the country of _____.”
“I am grateful for finishing my book by (actual date).”
I think you get my drift by now J
Step 4 – Reading of lesson in the book: The Way of Mastery
One of the most profound books I’ve ever read in my entire life is “The Way of Mastery.”
For me, words do not even do justice to the experience of reading and absorbing the material, which is broken down into 35 lessons in three categories:
The Way of the Heart
The Way of Transformation
The Way of Knowing
Each lesson on average takes me about 30 minutes to read, and is centered on self-forgiveness, self-love, acceptance, and is designed to return our minds to wholeness.
By the time I’m through I feel an even deeper sense of peace, power, love, and alignment within myself.
I came across this book from a good friend of mine who’s also a Coach, Stephen Sainato.
Stephen in a word, is an amazingly inspiring individual. He's a licensed attorney in the state of New York, who was also valedictorian of his Rutgers law program.
He also prior to that, struggled with 10 years of alcohol addiction (which led to him joining recovery and completely transforming his life).
I know him as a man deeply connected to his faith in God, and through that felt a beautiful sense of trust in him sharing this transformative book with me as well.
Nearly a year later, this book has been incorporated as a daily practice of mine, which I feel grateful in sharing to those who may desire to look into it for themselves.
Step 5 – Reading of My Inner Personal Commitments
Inner personal commitments are statements that I repeat and tune into everyday that is centered around the way of being in which I am creating in the world.
Essentially it’s who I am.
It’s on the same wavelength as declarations or mantras (depending on which language may make most sense for you).
Here a few of mine:
“I AM the most present, grounded, and loving person alive.”
“I AM the most passionate, powerful, and effective communicator to ever live.”
“I AM fearless from the depths of my entire being.”
“I AM a deeply loving husband, who is committed to creating beautiful magic with my wife Veera.”
“I AM the absolute highest essence of love.”
“I AM the most gifted spiritual teacher, personal coach, and international best-selling author on the planet.”
These are just a few, but I find them to be EXTREMELY powerful (specifically if you’re tuning into the words from a place of deep emotion).
There are plenty times where I’m brought to tears in the middle of expressing them (as I can truly feel the words to the depth of my entire being).
I am those words that I just listed above, so there’s no resistance in my body whatsoever in sharing them with you.
It’s not about me comparing myself to others or saying that I’m better than anyone else.
It’s more about me expressing who I am and the way of being that I'm bringing into the world, in all that I do.
This is 100% creation and something that is unable to fully be tapped into if one is moving around at a chaotic or unintentional pace.
It’s also great because it creates a personal reflection each AM for me to actually tune into these commitments and see if my actions are truly aligned to them.
If not, then I can lovingly acknowledge what is out of alignment, then simply choose anew right there in that moment.
Step 6 – Meditation
I then meditate for 20-30 minutes.
Meditation not only quiets the mind and allows a deeper sense of seeing what needs to truly be seen to do just that in being seen.
It also calms our bodies central nervous system and reptilian (fear based) brain.
When consistently done over time, it also creates and connects new synapses and brain neurons together.
It’s akin to the phrase, “neurons that fire together, wire together.”
This can be a superpower in itself, especially once you add your own personal visualization of what you desire or would love to create to it as well.
Step 7 – Yoga or Calisthenics
I don’t do these every single day, but I do get some form of body movement in, rather it be these or going for even a trail walk (typically on most if not every single day of the week).
This moves energy throughout the body, helps blood flow, keeps the spine nice and strong, and helps prevent any stiff or rigid joints to form.
I used to be hardcore weight lifter and long-distance runner (even having ran two full marathons previously), however those forms of running no longer serve me and I just keep it simple for what my body needs.
I spend no more than 25-30 minutes on these movements in order to stay active and harness all of the other steps deeply into my body at a physiological level.
It’s not till after all of these steps are complete, that I usually begin my actual working day.
Some days I don’t allocate enough time to do them all, but at minimum at least four of those steps are being done (with meditation and gratitude being the one practice I choose to prioritize above all the others if in a time crunch).
From start to finish these practices usually take 2 - 2.5 hours.
This may sound super long to some, but for me it’s a way of life that brings me a deep sense of presence and peace.
And I recognize that I’m not only a better human by doing so, I’m also bringing this same energy to my writing, personal clients, and interactions of life in general.
Am I perfect? In a word, no.
However, one of the major shifts that’s occurred for me, is no longer the desire, need, or attachment to trying to be so.
And from that place I feel much more at peace and ease with whatever the beautiful experience of human life (and what I like to call “Earth School”) is continuing to show and teach me in each moment.
Cheers to you in continuing to navigate the inevitable terrains with peace, grace, and from a deep and loving place.
With Love,
Brandon