Clear Mind, Empty Head: A Leak In Mind Like Water

There's a lot of talk in meditation circles about emptying the mind.

This is a roadblock for many people. Why? Because it's counterintuitive. After all, we spend most of our waking hours filling up our minds.

We go to school, we get trained, we read, we learn, we absorb information from all around us. Then someone comes along and tells us that the best thing we can do is EMPTY our mind? Why would we want to do that?

Empty isn't a good thing in most cases. Empty wallet? Empty gas tank? Empty bank account? Empty restaurant? These aren't conditions we find satisfying. Mention your feelings of "emptiness" to your doctor and you may end up with a prescription for Prozac.

Would you take it as a compliment if someone referred to you as "empty-headed"? Not likely.

We seek fullness in our bellies, our hearts and our lives. Going for empty goes against the grain.

We've already got plenty of reasons to avoid meditation. It seems difficult, uncomfortable, or just plain boring to a lot of newcomers. We don't need any semantic obstacles. Hearing that little voice saying, "Your mind is not empty--you're lousy at this!" only adds to the clutter that muddies our spirit, fogs our intention, and paralyzes our progress.

We must relinquish this expectation that we are supposed to attain this state of emptiness--complete non-thinking--in order to have a good meditation session. Staying attached to this ideal is likely to provide just one more nudge in the never-mind direction.

David Allen is a productivity trainer and consultant who is the author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. He offers valuable tips for dealing with the clutter that crowds our minds so that we can free up space for greater creativity.

Like Jim Ballard in his book called Mind Like Water: Keeping Your Balance In A Chaotic World, Allen uses the martial arts term to describe the process of preparing our mind for appropriate responses to demands.

Having a "mind like water" refers to one's ability to react and reflect in a balanced way. If you drop a stone in a still pond, the ripples will appear in a direct, appropriate response to the force and mass of that stone. Nothing more, nothing less. As the ripples dissipate, the pond returns to stillness.

That's a great way to look at how our minds respond when we feel relaxed and stress-free. We don't snap at our kids or get cranky with our co-workers. We get our tasks completed in a way that is efficient and without unnecessary action, emotion, or distraction. We have a point to which we return continually as we go through our day. There is no overreaction or failure to respond.

Still. Ripple. Still.

The only leak in this "mind like water" discussion is that Allen sticks with the tried-and-true "empty mind" terminology. That's too bad. It would have been a perfect opportunity to switch to clear!

When the "empty mind" concept becomes a barrier, slip into "clear mind" instead. After all, a pond is not empty. It is clear. Plenty of water. Rocks and mud at the bottom. Fish swimming here and there. If the water is clear, you can see it all and the finest details become magnified as they pop into view. The important aspect is our ability to see whatever we need to see.

What happens when you toss a stone into an empty pond? Not much. It makes a thud on the muddy bottom. Sure, you can see it. But what's the point?

Your mind will continue to have thoughts. Don't expect to avoid them. Drop the idea that you can remain "thoughtless" and embrace the value of seeing those thoughts clearly.

You've spent years filling your head. Mindfulness gives you the clarity to see what's going on in there without having to dump the contents first. By releasing the notion of emptiness, you can step into the power of clarity.

Empty mind? Clear mind? Choose the image that works for you.

I'll cast my vote for clear.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com

Demi Moore 'seeks spiritual help from Deepak Chopra' Digital Spy According to People, the Ghost actress is turning to the author of more than 60 books on spirituality and healing, following an incident in which she collapsed at her LA home on January 23. Moore has previously expressed her admiration for Chopra, ... Demi Moore Seeks Spiritual Guru Deepak Chopra's Helpallvoices Demi Moore Seeks Help from Deepak ChopraPeople Magazine all 3 news articles »

Church's New Rector Sees Social Justice as His Spiritual Mission Patch.com He says he sees himself as the church's “chief spirituality officer,” modeling a life of deep faith combined with service in the world. The arrival of Justin means goodbye to the Reverend Mark Shier, who served St. Michael's as an interim rector for ... and more »

Music channels God and spirituality Maroon Growing up as an LGBT person, understanding prayer and spirituality was a very difficult process. When taught to feel that unchangeable and inherent parts of myself were unacceptable in the eyes of God, I knew not how to seek or be a part of something ...

Spirituality, sexuality talk is set Poughkeepsie Journal “Radical Love: Taking Back Valentine's Day” will be the theme of Vassar's annual Religious and Spiritual Life Day today, to open up conversation about love, sexuality and spirituality. “Sexuality and spirituality often seem like strange bedfellows.

Spirituality: A lifetime of parenting in only 80 minutes The News-Press Whatever you think of Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, you may want to say a prayer for his 3-year-old daughter, Isabella, who was admitted to the hospital last month with complications from a chromosomal condition called Trisomy 18. and more »

Spiritual beliefs can have psychological pros, cons BG News Pargament, a professor in the Department of Psychology, researches the aspects of religion and spirituality that can be helpful as well as harmful to people. "We think of religion and spirituality as a double-edged sword," he said.

Religious, spiritual knowledge can provide positives for all people BG News by Bobby Waddle When people ask me about religion, I often tell them that I simply don't think about it - I prefer to live my life in the moment and worry about the spiritual realm later. In proclaiming my agnosticism, however, I am still taking my own ...

Washington Blade

Romance and religion Washington Blade (Photo by Danisha Crosby; courtesy Round House) Sex and spirituality — or the lack thereof — intersect in thought-provoking ways in the flawed-but-worthy play 'Next Fall,” a 2009 piece that's enjoying a post-Broadway local run at Round House Theatre ... and more »

Demi Moore Seeks Spiritual Counseling Huffington Post Spiritual Counseling, well there's a waste of time. How about actual medical counseling. You know with Doctors and people with degrees. Ridiculous. cameron_d: Spiritual Counseling, well there's a waste of time. How about pathetic......truly pathetic! and more »

Dr. R. Scott Colglazier, Author, Minister and Progressive Spiritual Voice ... Sacramento Bee 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Author and progressive spiritual leader, Dr. R. Scott Colglazier, is pleased to announce the release of his latest book, A Dictionary of Faith for Open-Hearted, Open-Minded People, an insightful and inspiring look at ... and more »