ideas for clearing the mind?

[james-25:22pm]

hmmm, I couldn't recall any tut's on this matter so I thought I'd ask for some help. Does anyone have any methods they use, or they have heard of in order to increase concentration when using affirmations etc? For Instance, when MILDing I pretty much know when it will work. And those times are the ones when my mind is focused on lucid dreaming...and not something I have to do the next day. So Im asking, how does one clear one's mind to focus on a specific thought?

[WakataDreamer]

Try something like VILDing. Pretend you are at a certain place that you are not, like a peaceful forest glen with a pristine waterfall. Imagine all aspects of the place. The details of the leaves. The sound of the cascading water. The feel of the grass under your feet. Maybe even what you are wearing, but focus more on pouring attention and detail into the scene you are creating. And don't pretend it's a picture, imagine that you are in the scene and picture all of the details of a first-person, 360 degree view of your "surroundings." Instead of focusing on a certain thought, do what I described above. It engages your full attention and blows away stray thoughts like cobwebs. Hope that helps.

[seeker28]

You can also try to relax each muscle group of your body at a time. Start with your feet, work up your legs, then your fingers, hands, arms, then face, neck, shoulders, then your abdomen. Try to relax only one muscle or muscle group at a time. Focus on the relaxation slowly taking over your body. I like to count -- but only "one...two...one..." over and over. That ensures that my mind is not focused on too many things.

[hisnameistyler]

What I do is, whether I am trying to focus on a specific thought, or just focus on nothing at all, I take the thoughts that pop into my head, make them smaller (like a little box) invision putting it on a piece of looseleaf paper, and crumple the paper up, and throw it away. Or sometimes I invision myself walking up to the thought, picking it up and tossing it like a frisbee. I find that (for me) it is better to INVISION getting rid of thoughts, rather than just trying to plain STOP them from coming. This is because I am actually forcibly getting rid of them. Also, make sure your comfortable! that's what works for me.

[james-25:22pm]

hmmm, I like those ideas. I may try them all combined I might put myself in a scene, lie down IN the scene and try my regular affirmation style. Thanks for the help

[Ellipsis]

I like to imagine a huge wave washing over me and sweeping away unwanted mental clutter.

[Balestar]

I dont ever bother to clear my mind I just lay there and wait to fall asleep; maybe thinking about stuff that happened in the day. Then my mind will start to wonder and I'll be doing something insanely stupid like jumping up and down on my roof or something and I'll know I'm asleep. Thats how it happens for me anyway.