How to Train a Wild Elephant

How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness

Quotes “If we practice mindfulness patiently and long enough, eventually we become interested in everything that happens, curious about what we can learn even from adversity and, eventually, even from our own death.” – Jan Chozen Bays. “How to Train a Wild Elephant.”

“The Buddha pointed out that when a wild elephant is first captured and led out of the jungle, it has to be tethered to a stake. In the case of our mind, that stake takes the form of whatever we attend to in our mindfulness practice—for example, the breath, a mouthful of food, or our posture. We anchor the mind by returning it over and over to one thing. This calms the mind and rids it of distractions.” – Jan Chozen Bays. “How to Train a Wild Elephant.”

“When we allow the mind to rest in the present, full of what is actually happening right now, redirecting it away from repeated fruitless, energy-sapping excursions into the past, future, or fantasy realms, we are doing something very important. We are conserving the energy of the mind. It remains fresh and open, ready to respond to whatever appears before it.” – Jan Chozen Bays. “How to Train a Wild Elephant.”

“Mindfulness is deliberately paying full attention to what is happening around you and within you—in your body, heart, and mind. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgment” – Jan Chozen Bays. “How to Train a Wild Elephant.”