It’s been well established here and throughout my life that my brain can be a bit squirrelly at times. I often compare it to the Teacup ride at Disney World or one of those multi-CD changers we had in our stereo systems back in the 1990s. Purposeful, yet constantly spinning. Occasionally skipping a track altogether.
Except for the two days I take a 5 a.m. class at the gym, my mornings begin the same way. Shower, brew coffee, play Wordle, and choose a track on the Aura app. Aura is my little corner of the meditation and mindfulness world. On those early gym mornings, I opt for something a bit peppier to accompany me on my drive. After all, nobody needs Kiki drifting into a Zen-induced coma before lifting weights.
Yesterday, I hit a milestone. 2,000 consecutive days of mindfulness tracks. If my math is correct (and that’s always a gamble), that’s approximately 5.47 years of intentionally trying to quiet the circus between my ears.
Along the way, I’ve discovered some wonderful techniques to tame overthinking, calm anxiety, and occasionally lull myself back to sleep when my brain decides that 1:37 a.m. is the perfect time to review every decision I’ve made since 1986.
The coaches are wonderful. Their voices soothe me, their words resonate, and sometimes they transport me to an entirely different level of thinking. A few of us even follow each other on social media! It’s become a lovely little community of people simply trying to find a bit of peace in a world that rarely sits still.
Has 2,000 days of mindfulness completely quieted my squirrel brain?
Absolutely not.
But these days, the squirrels occasionally sit down, sip their coffee, and enjoy the ride.
And for Kiki, that’s what I call inner peace. 😌☮️✌️
