502. Beating the ‘Monkey Mind’, Embracing Mindfulness, & Conquering The Mental Mountain

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Feb 4, 2025

Catherine Divine, a seasoned leadership coach and author of Sacred Silence, joins the discussion to explore the mental mountain of personal development. They delve into the significance of creativity, compassion, and intuition in today's world, while examining cognitive biases that cloud our judgment. Practical techniques like box breathing and mindfulness are emphasized for conquering the ‘monkey mind’. The conversation also touches on the importance of self-awareness and embracing discomfort as essential steps for personal growth and transformation.

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INSIGHT

Cognitive Bias & Critical Thinking

Cognitive biases, shaped by conditioning, filter our worldviews.
Critical thinking helps us critique these models and discern higher truths, fostering creativity.

ADVICE

Mindfulness Practice

Develop a mindfulness practice to observe your thoughts without judgment.
This shift in awareness helps separate your identity from fleeting thoughts and emotions.

ADVICE

Concentration Training

To improve concentration, eliminate distractions and establish a regular practice schedule.
Start with short, focused sessions and gradually increase the duration as your focus strengthens.

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This week on The Unbeatable Mind, Catherine Divine returns to discuss the second of the five mountains—-the ‘mental mountain!’ This mountain serves as a pathway towards developing important skills like creativity, compassion, intuition, and insight.

Together, Mark and Catherine explore the many intricacies of the mind, and delve into concepts like critical thinking and cognitive bias. They muse on the development of uniquely human skills—skills that are without a doubt essential for thriving in the age of artificial intelligence. Practical techniques—-such as box breathing and mindfulness are discussed as practices to assist in taming one’s ‘monkey mind’, and developing a focussed and resilient mental state.

Key Takeaways:

Cognitive Bias & Critical Thinking: Understand the filters placed upon our mind by social conditioning and the limits of our own perception—-and how this relates to thinking critically.
Developing Mental Discipline: Learn various practical techniques to apply in the development of mental discipline, and recognize the necessity of calmness.
Free Will & Ego Death: Ponder the idea that free will is something that must be earned through mental training and the ‘fortification’ of the ego.

Catherine Divine is a leadership coach, author, and yoga instructor with over 20 years of experience helping leaders unlock their full potential. Coauthor of Kokoro Yoga with her stepfather, Mark Divine, and author of Sacred Silence, Catherine holds a Master’s in Transformative Leadership from CIIS and is pursuing a PhD in East-West Psychology. As a Master Unbeatable Mind Coach, she has trained C-suite executives, Special Ops candidates, and high-performance leaders, guiding them to integrate mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and resilience. Catherine combines intuitive healing with strategic insight to help leaders overcome challenges, heal from trauma, and strengthen their mind-body-soul connection.

Catherine’s Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinec1/

Kokoro Yoga: https://unbeatablemind.com/kokoro-yoga/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatherineDivineYoga/

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Timestamped Overview:

00:00 "Unlocking Mental Potential"

05:41 Awakening to Self-Awareness

06:57 Mindfulness Practice: Developing Self-Awareness

11:59 Eliminate Distractions, Schedule Writing

13:21 Concentration Through Box Breathing

19:13 Mastering Mindfulness for Productivity

21:58 Trust and Mindfulness Journey

24:25 Overcoming Separateness Through Meditation

26:47 Fortifying Ego for Critical Thinking

31:40 Chasing Fulfillment, Missing Self

33:46 "Vision Affirmation: We Got This"