Practical Tips for Being Present with a Hyperactive Mind | Eckhart Answers

Once you've asked a question while you listen, you direct your awareness into the inner feeling of your hands and that keeps it there so that it doesn't. Your mind doesn't take off.

For someone who's a little bit hyperactive, what's the best way to get a balance between removing content, which is really good, but then not getting annoyed when content comes in and you think, oh, it's spoiling my piece. Is there some way to get a balance?

I assume the question applies to yourself.

Yeah.

So that someone is you.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay. Just wanted to make sure. So you are hyperactive.

Yeah, yeah.

Now, rather than explaining it to us in abstract way, can you give an example or one example of where this is problematic and how it manifests in your life?

So for example, here after the talks, I can go out the nature and it's. I'll get a glimpse now of some kind of presence.

Yes.

And I also want to engage with other people, but I know once I get on a roll, for example, speaking how good the talk was, I'm into a. Just a torrent. So it's almost. Should I just go and sit in the park for hours and hours? But that's too extreme. Probably.

Yeah.

I'm creating probably more content, trying to analyze whether to keep. Stay out of the way or.

So when you engage in conversation, then do you tend to speak fast or.

Yes. Yeah, yeah. I just totally lose.

The mind takes over and you're dragged along.

Yeah.

Yes. Now this being dragged along by the mind happens to many, many people. Perhaps you slightly more extreme form your mind is even more powerful than the normal Norma. Normal mind. And so you're dragged along before you know it. And so do you tend to sometimes avoid interaction in order not to be dragged along?

Yes.

Yeah. So it's either you get dragged along or you sit there and can't interact.

It's like two settings full blast or off.

Yeah. When somebody talks to you, of course. What is. How do you experience yourself when you listen to somebody? What is your. How do you listen to another person? Is your mind already preparing what you're going to say or.

Yeah, definitely. Whenever anybody tells me the name, never ever remember it because it's. I'm probably somewhere else when that's coming in.

Yeah. Have you done any practice meditation? Any kind of meditation practice formal meditation?

Yeah, I try and I'm guessing if I do it reasonably well for that first five minutes when I get up and go outside, it's lovely.

Now, when you're out in nature by yourself, are you able to be present to some extent or is your mind still active while you're looking at the trees or at the sky?

To some extent. Now I can. So that's progress, definitely, because I couldn't do that before.

So you find little spaces of presence when you're not interacting with people.

Yeah, like wet tarmac for some reason, just. Yeah, that works. I don't know why. It's just a reflection of the.

Oh, well, the most unlikely things can help you. That's fine. It doesn't really matter what it is. So do you. Are you in a relationship? Married or. No, no. Do you. Have you had relationships?

Yeah, but. Yeah. Not enough.

Okay, the but is enough. But I don't want to go too deeply into it because I'm not a psychotherapist and don't need to be. Well, I would recommend that you practice here. There's still some time left. Everybody knows now who you are and the people here are much more conscious than people you would normally meet in everyday life. And everybody will be very happy to help you and to help you. And you can also help, for example, by just refraining from giving too much input when you're interacting, engaging in conversation. Be more a listener than a speaker. Make that your practice for the time being. I'm not saying don't say a word, but be more like 80% a listener than a speaker. And that, for example, you can do by asking questions when you're in. Rather than stating your view or whatever it is. Ask questions that encourages the other person to speak more. If the other person speaks more, it forces you to listen and then make the listening into a practice while the other person is speaking. Are you able to. Let's at any time to feel your inner body. Can you feel that?

The hands, but then seem to lose them quite quickly.

Okay, but hands. You can feel the energy in your hands. The rest of the body is more difficult.

Yeah.

Okay. Well, it's a good start. It's a start. So I suggest that once you've asked a question while you listen, you direct your awareness into the inner feeling of your hands. And that keeps it there so that it doesn't. Your mind doesn't take off. So you ask a question. What? Where are you from? How long have you been with Eckhart? How did you first discover the books? Have you been to other. Many questions you can ask. And people will be happy to help you by answering your questions and they will be happy to help you by not asking you too many questions.

Yeah, no, thank you. That's good. Yeah, that'll help.

So and so while you listen, have your attention in the inner energy field of your hands. If you can amplify that and have your attention also in other parts of your body. For example, your feet and hand at the same time, that's even better. But hands is fine too. So you feel your inner the aliveness in your hands and from there you listen and you know, just give it. This will help you prevent the stream of mind from taking you over. So that's the beginning of a little practice. Another practice you can do is while you listen, you are aware of your breathing. And so you can even bring the two together. You can be aware of your breathing and your hands, but probably better for you to just choose one or the other. So please help this gentleman and allow him to ask you some questions and give exhaustive answers. And don't ask him any questions except. Well. Well, I'll ask you a couple of questions so you don't need to ask him. Where are you from?

Yorkshire, in England.

Okay. Yorkshire, England. And so you don't need to ask him that. So that's good. And have you been to retreats before here with us here?

No, it's the first one.

First one. Okay, well, that's another question you don't need to ask. Okay, I believe you can get there. And of course, in addition to this, practice with people. Go out into nature and be engaged, if necessary, even involve other senses, not just the visual sense, or for most people, the visual is the predominant sense, but also perhaps touch something, see what it a leaf or plant, pick up a stone or on the beach, the sand or whatever it is, water give it. Beware of the tactile sense, perceptions. All these things help you get out of your mind.

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