Wise Mind
The wise mind is the ability to make healthy decisions about your life. Often, both intuition and wise mind are described as “feelings” that come from “the gut” or the stomach area. The exercise that follows will help you get more in touch with your gut feelings, both physically and mentally. This exercise will help you locate the centre of wise mind in your body. This is the spot from which many people report knowing what to do and making the sensible and wise-mind decisions about their lives.
This phenomenon is interesting because gut feelings might be supported by scientific evidence. Researchers have discovered that a huge web of nerves can cover your entire digestive system. This web of nerves is second in complexity only to the human brain, so some researchers have referred to this area as the enteric brain, meaning the brain of the stomach.
Activity: Wise-Mind Meditation
Step 1. Set timer for three to five minutes and practice this exercise until the alarm goes off. As you grow more comfortable with this exercise, you can extend the timer to maybe ten or fifteen minutes.
Step 2. Find a comfortable place to sit and you wont be disturbed. Turn off your phone or any distracting sounds. If you feel comfortable closing your eyes, do so to help you relax.
Step 3. Now locate the bottom of your sternum on your rib cage – you can do this by touching the bone at the centre of your chest and then following it down toward your abdomen until the bone ends. Now place one hand on your abdomen between the bottom of your sternum and your belly button. This is the centre of your wise mind.
Step 4. Take a few slow and long deep breathes, relax your body and mind. Now slowly breathe in through your nose and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Feel your abdomen rise and fall.
Step 5. Now, focus your attention to the spot underneath your hand as you breathe. Let your attention be focussed on your wise mind as you feel your hand resting on your stomach. As you focus your attention here, notice what happens.
Step 6. If you’ve previously had any trouble or worries, problems or decisions that you have to make, think about them for a moment. Then Ask your Wise Mind what you should do with these issues or problems?
Step 7. Don’t judge whatever comes up, just note the answers you receive in your head and keep breathing. Continue to focus your attention on the wise mind and if no thoughts or answers come to your questions, just continue breathing.
Step 8. Keep breathing and returning your focus to the centre of your abdomen until the timer goes off. When you’ve finished, slowly opening your eyes and returning your focus to the room.
Here are some resources you can use: