God damn, we’re all up in our heads. It’s an epidemic. If you want to talk about global sickness, let’s talk about that. The fact that most people suffer from depression, anxiety, fear and worry has everything do with how we are trained to function in our world. We are so disconnected from ourselves, our bodies, our communities and the planet. All everyone does is THINK. FUCKING CONSTANT MONKEY MIND.

It’s depressing to me that this is so very hard to see when we are inside the cycle that the machine has created. I used to be like this – constantly prey to my own mental chaos, incredibly removed from what my body had to tell me, and stuck in fear and depression to an extent that felt impossible to shift. I am telling you that if I can change, anyone can change. Each and every one of you is capable of interrupting the cycle and taking back your lives.

If we spent as much time focusing on improving our inner health as we do worrying about how we look on the outside, we would be in much better shape all around. We would be happier and we wouldn’t feel the need to numb with alcohol, television and junk food. We would spend our time outdoors in nature and we’d be so in tune with our bodies that we would move them however they needed to be moved. We would love and honor our bodies by feeding them food that nourishes and keeps them healthy. And, in the end, we wouldn’t need to worry about how we look on the outside! Our inner health would have already taken care of that, organically.

I know it’s hard to stop thinking so much. We live in a world that is designed to keep us in our heads. I hate to break it to you, but our society does not want us to be healthy. They can’t monetize that. They get nothing out of our connection to the Earth and our desire to be rooted and embodied.

Everyone has problems with the monkey mind, even the most seasoned of holistic believers and practitioners. It is there to protect us, to help us survive, even when we don’t need it to do so. You don’t have to stop thinking entirely – that’s an impossible goal. But you can see your thoughts for what they are – something that is separate from your actual Self. You can see what reactions they bring up in you and ask yourself whether any of the stories they tell are true. You don’t have to attach to anything the brain tells you. This is the first step to finding peace and grounding within yourself.

Meditation helps to quiet the mind. It might be difficult at first, but it is a practice that gets stronger with time, just like any sport or physical exercise. Getting in touch with nature and grounding into your body will also help you stay in the present and out of your head. Rooting into the breath and practicing different breathing techniques is another great method for calming and quieting mental chaos.

The bottom line is that you have to commit to taking care of your mental health like it’s an exercise routine. Prioritize what’s going on inside and you’ll find that what happens externally is a lot easier to manage as well. It’s all connected. Once upon a time, I couldn’t make myself sit down to meditate. Now I refuse to skip it. It’s an essential part of my daily agenda, because it helps me more than anything else.

The fear, stress, anxiety, need to control – it’s all manufactured in your mind. None of it is real. The sooner you can conceptualize this, the happier you will be. When you learn to think less and experience more, your world becomes vibrant because you are actually truly THERE in the moment. You are not here on this planet having this life experience so that you can live it all up in your head. That makes no sense!

You can train yourself to quiet your mind. It’s been done by many before you and will be done by many after. You just have to have the desire to change. You are worth it. I love you.