Traffic Jam of Thoughts

I think we have all been caught in a traffic jam before and it's usually a result of not enough lanes/ space for the number of cars on the road or car[s] stopped, for whatever reason, holding up everyone else.

This also happens in our minds... ever heard of analysis paralysis?! Imagine that thoughts are cars. Our brains only have so much space or capacity and when they are overpacked with thoughts it can leave us in a place of stagnancy or feeling stuck. We can also experience that same feeling of stuckness when we have one thought holding us up- circulating on or belaboring an idea, thought or story in our mind without taking action, so simply put, when we stay with lingering indecision.

Less cars on the road means it's easier to get from point a to point b, right? By stilling the overactivity of thoughts, we gain more clarity. When that broken down car at the front of the traffic jam moves, everything else flows. By acting on a thought, we move energy so that everything else stuck behind it can begin moving and finding its way.

Yoga Nidrā works on both quieting the chatter and integrating or moving anything that is stuck. Both naturally happen when you shift from a state of “thinking and doing to feeling and being.” In the practice of Yoga Nidrā thoughts still exist, however the frequency slows down resulting in moments of stillness and experiences of energy or inner wisdom flowing freely.

This is an excerpt from my Thursday Zoom Yoga Nidrā email. Every week I host a live Yoga Nidrā that opens with a short talk about yogic philosophy, mindfulness, life experiences, personal growth, etc. I send out the recording with a short writing via email. Even if you can’t join live, sign up and receive the email with unlimited access to the Yoga Nidrā recording.