Cultivating a Pristine Mind-Garden in the New Year
Balanced body, Pristine Mind-Garden
It wasn’t until I nearly tumbled off a treadmill that I understood the importance of balance. Not just physical balance, either, but the kind that steadies the mind and roots us in the present moment.
That’s when I saw that the physical orientation of our bodies is no coincidence.
Barring birth defects and physical traumas, the human body is balanced without and within. Every cell knows its place. Each hormone executes its duty. Our bodily systems and organs work around the clock, ensuring that our hearts tick, our lungs take the oxygen we breathe, and our food converts to energy. It’s invisible processes that move us seamlessly from one point to the next.
It’s no coincidence that when our bodies are out of sync—like when we rush to arrive somewhere 43 seconds sooner or turn back too often—we lose our footing. Our bodies move forward naturally, with heads squarely poised and postures steady. But when we lose that alignment, our physical balance falters.
The same is true for our minds. By obsessing over the future, dwelling on the past, or fermenting in a swarm of negative thoughts, we lose the groundedness that keeps our mind-garden fertile and flourishing.
The Mind as a Garden
The mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. It’s your choice whether they grow flowers or weeds.
That elusive gearbox in our heads (what we call “mind”) is malleable, but its power is often in the wrong place. Pumping out ironclad opinions, instantaneous reactions, and a strong narrating voice around the clock, the mind is a devilishly compelling persona.
And after years of listening to the mind, trusting its every last word, we become convinced of its narratives. We fall asleep to the fact that the mind is merely a receptacle of awareness. In effect, the mind successfully establishes itself as both the gardener and the garden.
As Paramhansa Yogananda said, “The vacant mind is the workshop of despair.” When left unattended, the mind embodies its role as the “gardener,” sowing seeds of its choosing—whether they serve us or not.
The mind often pulls us away from the present, scattering seeds of regret in the past or worry in the future, leaving the present moment untended. These mind-gardens get easily overrun by the weeds of negativity, insecurities, and distractions that saturate the soil.
Many of us have to apply conscious effort to remember that the mind is a tool, not the master.
Living in a Noisy World
We live in a world of dualities and demands, which creates a tricky environment for overall satisfaction and wellbeing.
As the global population rises, international resources are increasingly strained and social classes continue to be grossly imbalanced. Profit schemes favor cheapness and convenience over health and wellness. Marketing strategies feed on—and perpetuate—insecurity.
And like the ambient music playing in a hotel lobby, negative news, reels, and social media updates are constantly creating noise in the background. Harmful messages seem to be everywhere, all the time.
Remember, most of us don’t regularly tend to our mind-gardens. Without actively setting up a fence or greenhouse, we are prone to letting these toxins infiltrate them. The negativity saturates the soil and germinates invasive weeds. These mental vines and barbs are noxious habit-thoughts that deepen the false idea that we’re constantly at odds with the world. This leaves us feeling existentially weak and pessimistic, unmotivated to work towards better internally or at large.
It’s the least bit surprising, then, that people make their own health suffer all the time. Whether it manifests as a 24-hour “bug,” muscular tension, sleep troubles, stress, depression, or anxiety, our more common ailments can be created (or exacerbated) by internal dis-ease.
The Distractions of Past and Future
Many of us find it hard—if not impossible—to spend time in the present. Our collective reality has infinitely many thorns, and just as many lurk in the recesses of our conditioned minds. It’s no wonder we struggle to maintain conscientiousness in these troubled environments, particularly when we lack confidence in our true natures.
Instead of searching for solace in the present moment, we slip into a reactive “survival mode,” constantly keeping a few paces ahead, behind, or to the side in attempts to evade reality.
Seeking refuge from the hostility of both the external world and the uncertainty within, we reach for familiar escapes. Chief among these are the alluring possibilities of the future, the seductive pull of the past, and our morbid addiction to consuming information and media—all distractions that keep us “anchored” anywhere but here.
While these habits may seem like acts of awareness, they often only trap us further.
Futures (That Almost Never Arrive)
Considering the future, we cage ourselves with contingencies, agonizing over what could go wrong. Almost never do we visualize what will go well! These attempts to arm ourselves with anticipatory wisdom are foolhardy at best. All we’re doing is formulating ideas for situations that don’t actually exist. We’re preparing plans for, well, figments of our imagination.
Regardless of how much we think ahead and tease apart predictions, the universe dances on its own accord. We can never fully anticipate what will happen next. There will forever be contingencies we haven’t considered, like the chance of a sudden downpour soaking you on a clear day.
What will you do if clouds suddenly form and converge? Will you stand there contemplating the best way to stay dry, or will you instinctively move to find cover? The answer is clear: you’d act without hesitation, reaching for an umbrella or tightening your hood. We tend to operate most efficiently when the analytical mind is dormant and our inherent intelligence takes the lead.
But Annette, I can practically hear you retort, because I used to wonder about it, too: What about the pleasant stuff of daydreams? Aren’t hope and optimism different?
Positivity is far more beneficial than cynicism, of course. But even daydreams, when not properly harnessed, can be methods of evasion.
What do you gain by projecting futures where the syrup is sweeter and the palm trees are greener? Sure, you might momentarily get a flash of serotonin from that. But once you’ve come back your present reality and remember that the syrup is mediocre and the palm trees are 2,000 miles away, then we have a problem. If you could be in that cheerier future moment, then you would be—but you’re forever grounded in what’s happening now. This disparity is where you might start to feel empty, unfulfilled, or bored.
Uncontrolled daydreams are distracting alternate realities, just like those in television shows. When we pine after those imagined future moments, we’re clinging to a non-reality. The very act coaxes us out of appreciating existence as it is here and now.
Heavy Parcels of the Past
If we’re not projecting into future catastrophes or fantasies, we often find ourselves retreating into the pools of the past.
The past is a narrative that identifies where we’ve been and shapes our understanding of “who we are”—both the bright and the beastly. Much like our daydreams, reminiscing about the past can feel deceptively comforting, like putting on a pair of rose-colored lenses and going for a stroll in the sunshine. We either long to relive moments of joy, or use them as proof that good times can return. But these nostalgic escapes diminish the inherent value of the present, offering only fleeting solace without contributing to genuine contentment.
Yet the darker side of the past is just as alluring—and just as damning. Wallowing in old troubles turns us into victims of our own stories again and again, revitalizing the pain that once gripped us. The cycles of guilt, remorse, and hatred harden our hearts, keeping us cold to the situation or people involved. Repeating these narratives jails us in an enclosed loop, shutting out possibilities for awareness and growth.
But doesn’t the past make us who we are? Isn’t it important to remember the triumphs and pains that shaped us?
In some ways, yes. Left unprocessed, past experiences can fester, mutating into suffering that infects the present. The key is to acknowledge the past without identifying with it.
When we observe our memories from the objective seat of awareness, we can honor them without letting them define us. Too often, though, we cling to our stories—individually and collectively—and form identities around past injustices. This clinging maintains our sense of separateness and ensures that suffering will ripple through time, shaping generations to come.
the Body’s Lesson: Balance
The position of our heads is the perfect teacher. Think about how your body carries itself throughout the day: your head is poised, and for the majority of the day, you’re likely facing forward. You are naturally grounded in presence, processing stimuli as they come through your senses.
When we step out of sync, perhaps going to quickly to match the rush of the hour, we are more likely to trip. Our haste removes any consideration we once had for the cracks in the sidewalk. Similarly, if we try to walk while glancing back over our shoulders, then here too we’ll stumble (except in cases of superhuman balance). By not focusing on each step, we’re completely unaware of upcoming hazards.
With our heads on a swivel, anticipating every possible “threat,” how many beautiful moments do we miss?
It’s no coincidence that we’re most stable with a squared posture, an even pace, and our faces forward. Our minds might be elsewhere, gathering more fertilizer for the weeds, but our bodies are forever present. I think we can afford to learn something from their symmetry and inherent intelligence, by fostering an inner balance that mirrors them.
Grounding Ourselves in Awareness
We begin by grounding ourselves in awareness. When negativity and hatred arise in the external world, awareness makes it so that they glide over your mind-garden, breeze-like and without settling or permeating the soil. Suffering is a reality for humans’ mind-dominated world, but in this way, it needn’t become who we are. All we have to do is watch our thoughts as they come and go.
One simple, but effective method is to “halt and be.” If the mind is running rampant with worries and projections and useless tidbits, then physically stop yourself. Contemplate your surroundings. You’ll probably find that the only chaos present is the stuff inside your head. In a living space, for example, the furniture is still, the cat or dog is sleeping soundly, and the ceiling fan is whirring at its fixed cadence. Channeling that same stillness for yourself is the gateway to peace.
When it comes to the pain tied to past experiences or ingrained reactions, forgiveness and compassion are necessary. Take a moment to ground yourself, stay present, and recognize what’s distracting you from the radiance of Being. Whether it’s heartbreak, old grudges, or memories of unfair treatment, try to approach these feelings with kindness. Gently remind yourself, and your past selves, that none are obligated to suffer.
Cultivating Healthful Growth in the Mind-Garden
Once you’re refreshed with presence and conscious awareness, walk on, remembering to only turn back if you’ve first slowed down or stopped. Feel the impression of each step, sensing the world around you in real time. Stay tuned in, and when you feel the need to run or escape, take the time to reflect and understand why.
Give yourself the space to process and the nutrients to grow, tending to your mind just as you would a garden. Remove the weeds; start anew. Gather sunshine, fertilizer, and water to encourage the right seeds to flourish. Just as your body naturally finds balance when your head is poised and your footsteps are even, the mind-garden becomes pristine when you concentrate only on that which serves you.
In cultivating this mindfulness, you not only clear the path for yourself, but also create a smoother path for those who walk beside you. After all, proper balance is what keeps you moving forward—especially on a treadmill, as I so charmingly learned.
Fellow life-traveler, my first wish for this new year is that you find steady footing, no matter the landscape. May blessings shower your mind-garden all through 2025!
⋆.ೃ࿔ :･⚝⭑
Adapted from The New Leaf Project, a previous blog. Original posted on 7 November 2022.