By increasing the mind’s capacity, you think creatively.
You are not only enabling yourself to come up with more ideas for problem-solving, but you are also exploring new avenues of thought that give you the privilege to see life from another perspective.
Expanding your thoughts: 5 techniques for mind expansion will make your mind more powerful than it currently is.
Benefits Of Mind Expansion
Expanding your mind means learning about things outside of you. As a result, mind expansion allows you to be more open to new learning experiences and opportunities. It will enable you to explore the unknown and reinvent yourself or get ahead in work or life.
- You will make better long-term decisions. The mind always seeks comfort within familiar surroundings, known as “past bias.” However, making decisions based on past events can inhibit your internal state of mind and prevent personal growth.
- Mind expansion allows you to see things from a broader, more objective perspective. You can expand your mind by focusing on knowledge rather than material possessions, which will enable you to see yourself and others differently.
- You will be more open to new learning opportunities. When the mind expands, it also opens to the ever-growing knowledge of the universe. By practicing mind expansion through conscious techniques, you will have the edge over close-minded people.
- An expanded mind is essential to success at work, within relationships, and in all aspects of everyday life. When you are open to see and hear new things then relationships are more meaningful.
5 Techniques To Help Expand Your Thoughts & Mind
1. Music
Listening to music can have a profound effect on our mood, blood pressure, and heart rate. It can even alter the way we process information. So it’s not surprising that the right tunes can help us focus, concentrate, and learn better.
One theory suggests that music engages more of our brain than any other activity. When we listen to music, different areas of our brain light up like a Christmas tree on an MRI scan. These areas include those responsible for processing sound, emotion, memory, and movement. This means that music engages more of our brain than any other activity. Another theory suggests that music can help us learn by providing a structure for our brain to organize information.
Expand your mind by listening to music, not in your usual genre. How does the beat make you feel?Think about the lyrics of the song. What emotions do you feel? What is the story behind the song?
2. Meditation
There are many types of meditation you can try out: breathing, mindful, guided. They are all helpful to calm your mind and help expand your thoughts.
To further explore various types of meditation head over to our guide 6 Types of Meditation to Calm
To meditate effectively, you don’t have to be a monk living in the mountains for 20 years. It is as simple as finding 10 minutes of quiet space and time before starting your day by doing the following:
- To begin, find a quiet, comfortable place to sit.
- Then, make sure you won’t be disturbed for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Once you are in a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down, eyes open or closed, you are ready to begin.
- Begin by breathing slowly and deeply. Or, if you find focusing on your breath dull, focus on a sound around you. The sound may be birds chirping, passing traffic, the wind blowing through trees, the air conditioner hum. Whatever you choose to focus on, try to stay with that one thing. I find focusing on my breath easier than focusing on the sounds around me. When I notice my thoughts begin to what I call talk within me, I say in my head, ok, thanks, let’s notice our breath now.
After your meditation, you will notice your body and mind have responded by relaxing.
3. Read Or Study Material That is Outside Of Your Mainstream Interest
Expanding your mind goes hand in hand with growing the contents of your mind.
Learning new things and exploring new material outside your comfort zone will help you challenge the mind and expand it. What is your current mindset? Are you a conservative person? Think about how what you read impacts your mind and thoughts on life.
When your mind is open to new ideas, the mind will naturally expand. By reading or studying various types of information, you can increase your mind expansion.
4. Expansion Through Visualization
You can do visualization exercises to expand your mind.
Visualization allows you to be inspired by an expansive mind-picture. To begin the visualization process find a comfortable, quiet location where you will not be disturbed for 10 to 15 minutes.
Next, see yourself in the situation you would like to be positive. Perhaps you are going for a job interview and really would like the position.
First, see yourself sleeping well the night before the interview, getting up, and dressing. See yourself looking into the mirror and admiring how good you look, how the color you chose to wear highlights your face.
Next, visualize getting to the interview, meeting the person, talking confidently during the interview, and leaving.
After visualizing all aspects, open your eyes and scan your body to see if any area is tense to determine the feelings that have popped up, to relax and provide yourself with the support you need to move forward successfully.
5. Connecting With The World Around You Through Meditation, Nature Walks, Forest Bathing
We all need connection. Our human experience demands we have relationships to thrive and live fully. Nature plays a prominent role in our connection needs and expands our minds. Nature provides water and air earth essentials to breathe and nourish our bodies.
When we practice forest bathing or go on nature walks we let the sun recharge us, breathing in the air around us, filling up our lungs, then releasing the air, and with each inhalation and exhalation, we become more relaxed. When you walk outside in nature, enter the adventure with an open heart and mind to gain the full benefit.
Final Thoughts
Expanding your thoughts allows for self-discovery, which helps you to cope and be open to all that happens to you within your day. We all have good and not-so-good parts and are growing daily.
Moments shape who we are today, tomorrow, next year. Your moment is not more important than mine or someone else’s; it is just yours. Expanding your mind means you can view items from a broader perspective, but it does not mean that you have to change how you think or what you believe about things.
Instead, expansion means you see life from a new perspective without feeling obligated or pressured to take on another view unless you choose to. Expanding your mind and learning what others share will also help you empathize with another and yourself.
Enjoy your mind expansion!
