Don't Act Like a Hampster

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Don't Act

Like a Hampster

 

by Declan Twohig

 

I was watching my daughter's hamster at home yesterday

and it reminded me of a nice little relaxing tool.

 

Find somewhere quiet and comfortable, close your eyes and

simply allow your breathing to slow and deepen for a couple of minutes, or as

long as it takes.

 

Then make a picture in your mind of a hamster running

around inside its wheel. Just like your racing thoughts, hamster can't stop

running on the spot.

 

Watch him for a while and see how tired he gets and how

all this frantic running is getting him nowhere. Notice that you can't even see

the rungs of his wheel because he is running so quickly.

 

Then see the wheel slowing to a walking pace. Slower and

slower he walks until the wheel stops turning round and you can see each rung

in detail now.

 

The hamster is still inside his wheel, but he has turned

over onto his back, closed his eyes, and is using the wheel as a hammock,

rocking gently backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards.

 

Each time an outside thought intrudes into your head,

bring your attention back to the gentle rocking of the wheel, backwards and

forwards.

 

After a while, the rocking stops and the hamster is

asleep. Maybe another trick that you can use for nodding off at night too.

Though I am always curious about those wheels going nowhere. The hamster never

seems to realize that it is running miles and going nowhere fast.