Training Your Mind to Help You

Home
>
Motivation
>
Training Your Mind to Help You

Training Your Mind to Help You

Our friend, singer and songwriter Chuck Pyle, likes to say, "The mind is like a bad neighborhood-you should never go there by yourself." If you're mind hasn't been trained to help you, via methods like meditation, shamanism or NLP, it might really be a bad neighborhood. Our minds constantly absorb thoughts, behaviors, and responses from our environment. These various thought patterns and responses may or may not be in alignment with our goals. So, unless we actively train our minds to be responsive to our needs, we may be in for a wild chariot ride (and 6 out of control horses)!

From a shamanic point of view, we say that each person is a spirit with a mind and body. In other words, we are spirit and mind and body are tools that we, spirit, can use. However, just because we have mind as a tool doesn't mean that mind, in its current form, is a good tool for us. The untrained mind is a lot like an untrained animal-be prepared for the unexpected!

Have you ever sworn to yourself (say on New Year's Day?) that you're never going to fall for the wrong kind of mate again? Or you're going to lose 10 pounds this year? Or you're going to . the list is endless. Then what happens? We forget what we've promised ourselves, or we find other priorities that are more important. That forgetfulness is a sign that mind isn't trained to help us with our aims. Mind is doing its own thing.

So what can we do to train mind? Segment intending, one of our favorite exercises from Abraham-Hicks, is a simple way to train your mind to help you while also accomplishing a lot each day. Here's how you do it:

1) Pick the length of time for your "segment." It can be any length of time, but no more than an hour. Thirty minutes or an hour works well. Decide exactly what time the segment will start and end.

2) Decide on your aim for that segment. It could be a list of tasks, a state of being, or both. For instance, you might decide that you will strive to remain light hearted while you return phone calls for 30 minutes.

3) When the segment start time arrives, start your segment with no second thoughts. Put your attention solely on the tasks for that segment and nothing else.

4) If you get interrupted during your segment, you need to decide whether the interruption is important enough for you to stop your segment (for instance, if your boss stops by your office for a chat). If the interruption is not important enough, keep going on your segment. If the interruption is important, make a conscious decision to stop your current segment and start a new one (one centered around the interruption).

Practice doing these segments throughout the day. Each segment is a training period for your mind, and will teach your mind to assist you in whatever you are doing. Segment intending works even better with a buddy, who can help you stay on track and stay focused. Whether you segment intend by yourself or with a friend, you'll find your mind becoming much more responsive to your needs as a spirit. Enjoy!

About The Author

Stephanie Yeh, co-founder of the Esoteric School of Shamanism and Magic (http://www.shamanschool.com), helps clients learn magical and shamanic techniques. Her current project, a free teleconference series on a variety of magickal and shamanic topics with guest speakers, is designed to share information and promote interaction between people of varying spiritual practices.

articles@shamanschool.com

In The News:

MSU News
Need workout motivation? Try a virtual partner
msnbc.com
Don't sweat it — new research shows that even a virtual exercise partner might boost your motivation to exercise. Researchers found that women who biked alone experienced a decline in motivation over time, whereas those partnered with a virtual friend ...
With virtual pal, women double workoutsFuturity: Research News
Cyber partners help you go the distanceScienceBlog.com (blog)
Cyber exercise partners help you go the distanceMSU News

all 4 news articles »

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Eagles' Jarrett 'motivated by pride' in year two
Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
He knows the doubts remain, but he is using it as motivation. “I'm motivated by pride,” Jarrett said. “I've got a chip on my shoulder every day to be the best.” Jarrett never had it easy. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of New York with a ...

and more »

Soccer365 (press release)
City taunts motivate Cleverley
Soccer365 (press release)
Cleverley told the Daily Star: "The motivation is there, massively. It's our neighbours, our rivals. Nothing needs to be said to motivate ourselves. "Football seems to be the only talking point in Manchester at the minute. "When your neighbours are ...

and more »

How to Motivate Someone
Huffington Post
To motivate another person, you have to appeal to their values. This may seem straightforward, but it isn't. Too often we try to motivate others by indoctrinating them in our values rather than by appealing to theirs. A classic example of this is the ...

Gary Allen's marathon motivation marked by decades of endurance
Bangor Daily News
Gary Allen trains along Sargent Drive in Northeast Harbor as part of his preparation for the Boston Marathon in 2010. Allen's recent finish of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 48 seconds in the Tacoma City Marathon marked the 65th time he has completed a ...

My View: Can tests motivate students? It depends on the test - and the student
CNN (blog)
They co-authored the report, “Student Motivation—An Overlooked Piece of School Reform." (CNN) – We're taking many steps as a nation to boost student achievement. We're raising academic standards, revising curricula, revamping low-performing schools ...

Sydney Morning Herald
Ian Thomsen: Boston Celtics look for motivation to lock in Game 6 win over 76ers
SI.com
By encouraging Sixers fans to attack him and his team, he was admitting that he needs the motivation. It will surely be offered as soon as he is introduced before Game 6. It will be up to Garnett and Rajon Rondo to drive their tired, injured team ...
Collins' words more motivation than barbThe News Journal
Collins goes to the archives for Game 6 motivationThe Mercury
Paul Pierce on Game 7: 'I like our chances'WEEI.com
FOXSports.com -SportingNews.com -Bleacher Report
all 2,821 news articles »

Channel 7 Daily News
Motivation For Youths
Channel 7 Daily News
They were there to hear a high-powered panel of professional motivational speakers from Mexico, United States, Cuba and Columbia. The idea was to educate the youths of Belize about the benefits of living a positive lifestyle and inspire them to do the ...

and more »

McKinney High Uses Difficult 2011 Football Season As Motivation Entering New ...
TownSquareBuzz.com
While it could be perceived as rock bottom for a very proud Texas high school football program, last season serves as a constant source of motivation for the 2012 Lions, who wrapped up the spring football season with the Blue vs.

and more »

Shape Magazine (blog)
Stay Motivated to Workout this Weekend
Shape Magazine (blog)
But if you don't want chasing said ice cream man to be the most exercise you get all weekend let your man (or your new summer fling) be your motivation! To keep things light and fun for the holiday here are a few quirky facts we gathered from our ...

Google News