What do I think? Morning Mental Fitness Plan (2)
I think therefore I am, is an axiom from Rene Descartes, 1637. When we think, we’re aware. With awareness, we experience life, being, and the power to choose. Life is experienced in our mind, a product of brain function. Brain function is optimal with an optimal DOSE of Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and beta Endorphin. The Frontal Lobe of our brain is the area most associated with thinking.
Anatomy: The Frontal Lobe
The Frontal Lobe is made up of the Pre-Frontal Cortex (from just above the eyes to almost the center of the brain) where the brain thinks, plus the Motor Cortex (almost at the very top of the brain) where the brain initiates movement in the body. The Pre-Frontal Cortex thinks, plans, judges, focusses and decides.
Although we can’t say “this part of your brain does this, and that does that” and you need all your brain to be working all of the time, the Pre-Frontal Cortex of the Frontal Lobe appears to be where you “think.” You take in information from your five senses, you think about it – plan, consider, judge, focus and problem-solve – and decide what to do in response. Your response is communicated from your Pre-Frontal Cortex to your Motor Cortex to initiate something you do or say.
Incoming info from 5 senses - to- “Think” -to- Outgoing movements or words.
We don’t know the origin of thoughts, but they likely occur in networks among the connections of regions in your Frontal Lobe and in other parts of the brain. The Orbito-Frontal Cortex, for example, is the area most associated with what you choose to do. This is connected to brain areas encoding your personality and your value system. Your choices influence everything you do.
What do I think?
As you breathe in and out in this first minute of your five-minute Morning Mental Fitness Program, ask yourself what do I think? This makes you aware of your thoughts. Know some characteristics of your thoughts. These include, according to pioneer psychologist William James,
Your thoughts are yours
They are continuous and changing
They are about things
Considering these characteristics will lead you to more questions:
What are my thoughts?
Can I focus on some thoughts and let others go?
What do I usually think about?
As you breathe in and out, think about these questions. There is no need to judge your thoughts; just become curious and more aware of your thoughts. You’re looking at the process of thinking rather than the content of your thoughts.
Ask what do I think? during your morning meditation. Become aware of the process of thinking and observe your thoughts from afar. This will make it easier for you to separate yourself from thoughts that bring you stress, dis-comfort or dis-ease. Do this in the morning meditation and aim to continue doing this during the day. With practice you’ll enjoy it more, and this will release dopamine.
The practice
This is the first minute in your 5-minute morning meditation; the first question and the first brain area of your Morning Mental Fitness Program. Begin your quiet time of mindful meditation as described in the first post of this series.
Keep your awareness on the tip of your nose and on your breath. Simply ask yourself what do I think? on each in-breath.
On each outbreath, be aware of the process of thinking. Experience it. Notice your thoughts. Become curious about them.
See your thoughts as leaves on the river of your stream of consciousness, or clouds passing through the sky of your mind.
Don’t judge them. Don’t engage with them. Don’t fight, resist or answer them. Simply accept them and know they are there.
Keep in this state for a minute, five minutes or as long as you comfortably enjoy it.
During the day, pause at times to ask yourself what do I think? Your brain will recall the experience of thinking from your morning five minutes. If any thoughts stress you, you will be more able to separate from them and stay calm.
1: What do I think? (thanks to my Frontal Lobe)