Getting out of our heads

Sometimes I find it hard to get out of my head and quiet my thoughts. I wish I had a switch in my mind to shut the noise off or at least turn down the volume. And I’m not sure if all the thinking actually helps or changes anything. I’ve tried meditation to quiet my mind but have a lot of trouble remaining focused and I tend to feel bored very quickly.

Recently I started dating a guy who is very cerebral. He is really on the extreme side of brainy and always in his head, so it is hard for me to relate to him on an emotional level. I was thinking about techniques that could help people like that connect to their emotions and bypass the brain, and in the process discovered something that has actually helped me connect more. I simply put my hand over my heart in the center of my chest area and feel it. I don’t think about it – I just feel the warmth and pressure of my hand lying there and that automatically puts my attention in my body, and specifically in my heart. Anytime I feel my mind begin to wander I just feel the heat and pressure of my hand again and it helps me return to a place of feeling instead of thinking. And I don’t do it for very long, just a minute or so. But afterwards I always feel more centered, connected, and able to view situations and people that previously annoyed or angered me with a great deal more compassion, which lets me feel a lot happier.