To get past the Monkey Brain you have to go through it. Do to that, just sit with it for a while. If you feel the impulse to jump up, just stop and stay where you are for a bit longer.

Chances are that once your Monkey Brain settles down, you will touch the deep places inside yourself where you might find something you didn't know was there. It can be scary, as so we protect ourselves with the Monkey. However, it can also be extreemely rewarding.

They only way to learn it is to practice, practice, practice.

Respect is something that is sorely lacking today. Everyone seems to think only of themselves. Sad, really.

It's hard to empty your mind of all thoughts. Very occasionally I can make it happen, but it usually takes longer than I actually have to meditate:)

I had bad dreams to :(

You're so right about the respect thing. Manners go along with that - what ever happened to "please" and "thank you"? Sheesh. And sometimes that's all it takes to take the edge off boorish behaviour - my favourite: if someone's a jackass on the road, and cuts me off (dangerously), suddenly it's not so bad if they give me The Wave.

It will not surprise you to know that I suck at meditation.

I almost typed medication. I suck at that, too ;-)

Respect is the biggest and best part of love. People just never seem to remember that.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me . . .

Oh man, respect. In L.A. you don't get any of that on the road. It's all about self-entitlement, arrogance, or selfishness.

Anyway, I'm like you with the plying. The 3-ply pink and green I just did? Torture. I'm teaching myself to spin low-twist singles now.

I don't own a dog at the moment, but I grew up with them, and I am so a dog-on-the-leash person. Have you ever tried yoga? It helps me calm my mind a lot. Of course, you have to work at it. Good luck!

I have to be doing something to acheive that kind of meditative state too; I used to be able to do it while sanding wooden bowls on the lathe. Actually sanding in general -- it's repetitive enough to put me in that groove. I can see how spinning would do it too!

Now I'll have Aretha in my head all day...not that that's a bad thing. Very few dogs should be off the lesh and only those that are completely trained to heel and stay. I only know one dog like that out of all the dogs I know and it isn't Moxie or Murphy!
I spun all morning and if I could do what I want today I'd still be doing it. Wish I could sit and spin or knit with you!

Meditation is not for me either. Like you I love the zen like feeling I get while I'm spinning!

I have never tried meditation -- I think I'm too jumpy, impatient, I'd be bored, I don't want to think about or through all that monkey business stuff. I think I HAVE meditated, but it's something that comes over me, something that happens to me and I'm really not even aware 'til I'm there, it's not something that I "do."

Does that make sense?

All hail the Queen of Short Rows. I, for one, have no doubt that she shall reign supreme again... wearing her beautiful, striped, short-rowed mantle/sweater. ; )

Have you ever read The Mists of Avalon? I (hehe) have read it a few times, and though I've never spun an inch of my own yarn I can never forget how much the MZB dwells on the tedium and trance-inducing nature of spinning. Makes me laugh (with sympathy, of course) to read this post. Maybe the author really was a spinner?

I want a t-shirt that says that... "Go out and respect someone today!" Brilliant.

I like to listen to podcasts or an audio book while I spin. They go extremely well together!

To respect, to trust, to honor, mutual appreciation - all words that live in the same neighborhood. Not a bad 'hood to live in.....

If it's okay with you, though, I refuse to respect the president. Well, even if it's not okay with you. It's just something I have to (not) do.

That's funny, I used to get to that zen place within about 3.2 seconds of starting to spin, and lately it's really hard. I keep wondering if it's 1) the slippery superwash merino 2) the fact that I'm spinning it really fine and it's taking eons to fill up a bobbin. It's getting easier, though.