Your wandering mind is not a problem...

My mind tends to wander when I meditate and I bet yours does too.

And really that's not a problem because it's just part of your present moment experience.

Welcome to my Substack! I'm Amy Schloerb. I am a mindfulness and mindset coach.

And, like I said, my mind likes to wander when I meditate.

Sometimes it goes off into the future.

Sometimes it goes wandering and rummaging around in my past.

Sometimes it tries to offer solutions to problems I'm currently facing in my life.

Look, a mind is going to do what a mind is going to do.

But the good news is that when I practice mindfulness meditation...

I am not my wandering mind.

I am the observer of my wandering mind.

It's kind of like a parent watching a toddler on the playground.

Pretend for a minute that you're a parent and you're sitting on the bench in a shady area and you're watching your toddler on the playground.

They're wandering over to the slide and then they wander over to the swings and then they wander over to the sandbox.

You don't care where your toddler goes on the playground.

You don't judge their choice of activity.

You just observe them.

And maybe occasionally you have to step in and redirect the toddler for whatever reason.

They've taken another kid's toy or they've left the playground altogether to chase after a ball or they wandered in front of the big kids on the swings and they're about to get knocked over.

But you just redirect them gently. It's no big deal.

And it's the same with mindfulness meditation.

I observe...my mind contemplating what I want to make for dinner.

I observe...my mind thinking about a personal problem that I'm currently dealing with and offering solutions.

I observe...my mind drawing a parallel between how my mind wanders and how toddlers wander around on playgrounds and then starts to write this Substack.

I'm just observing my mind.

I'm just watching my mind.

I'm just letting my mind do what a mind is going to do.

And as long as I stay aware that I'm watching my mind and all that it's doing in the present moment, I'm practicing mindfulness.

I stay focused on my breath, much like the parent stays present on the bench. They don't wander away from the playground. They're not like, "Later, kid! I'm going to go to Starbucks and I'll be back." They stay present on the bench and they watch their child.

And likewise, I stay present and I watch my mind.

I'm ready to gently redirect my mind back to the experience of my breath each time it wanders like completely away from the present moment.

Oh, I observe that I'm thinking about making spaghetti for dinner...and right now I'm going to gently return my focus to my breath.

Ah, I'm thinking that I could call so-and-so to get help with that problem...and right now, I'm going to gently return my focus to my breath.

Oh boy, I just had a great idea for a Substack! It's going to be about a parent and a playground and a wandering toddler and all of this stuff and how that relates to meditating...oh, no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait. Right now, I'm going to gently return my focus to my breath.

Our wandering mind is not the problem.

It's part of the present moment.

And the best thing that you can do for yourself and your mindfulness practice is to really lean into this idea of noticing and gently refocusing.

Like a parent watching their kid on the playground — Gentle, gentle, gentle.

Be gentle with your mind.

All the time, be gentle with your mind.

Be gentle with yourself while you're practicing meditation.

That's going to make your mindfulness practice so much more pleasant and enjoyable.

And then that gentleness, that caretaking of your mind is going to start to ripple out into how you caretake yourself in your life in general.

And now for your moment of mindfulness…

Let’s chat! ☕️

If you’re ready to transform your actor mindset, let’s connect in a complimentary session.

This is not a “sales call.” Seriously, I couldn’t sell bread to a bread slicer.

My only intention is that you leave the session feeling deeply seen, heard, and inspired with some new insights and ideas to consider and implement.

After we've both let the experience of the session settle, maybe we'll end up entering into a more formal coaching arrangement, or maybe our time together will feel complete.

It's a win-win either way. 🎉

Super Stressed? I got you! 💖

Accessing Calm is my ebook of super simple, fun mindfulness life hacks I use every day to calm down quickly when stress is high.

These are the tools that help me release tension from my body and keep my mind from spinning out of control with worry and frustration. 😭 ➡️ ☺️

They help me get through the morning rush, calm down before a big audition, and deal with all the stress of the world in general.

It’s a quick read that includes video demonstrations of all tools and some bonus mindfulness meditations — all for just $7!

Upcoming Workshops!

I’m hosting online mindfulness workshops in October and November for members of the SAG-AFTRA LA Conservatory!

Mindfulness 101: Empower Your Craft and Your Career With Your Presence

Come learn about mindfulness and the many advantages it offers performers. Experience a guided mindfulness meditation, explore the benefits of developing a daily mindfulness practice, and learn some quick centering tools to use in auditions and on set.

If you are a member of the SAG-AFTRA LA Conservatory, head to the calendar on the website to sign up. If you’re not a member, I encourage you to join, it’s $45 for a full year of workshops and classes.