Hello my friends I'm Deepak Chopra this is daily breath. My friend and colleague Jay Shady joins me this week. Jay has a new book

out that's called Think Like a Monk train your mind for peace and purpose every day.

Our series is called Total Meditation. Total Meditation replaces unconscious responses with conscious ones and a very useful application of the shift centers on habits. Habits are things we acquire as a result of repetitive behavior, particularly during our younger years and childhood and habits can create what I call a

circular trap. The impulse behind a habit keeps repeating itself. Most people struggle

briefly, but then give in to the impulse, whatever that impulse is, overeating, worrying, being obsessive.

Repetition is a very key element that keeps a habit going.

However, the more awake you are, the easier to address. Habit is easier to address.

If you're conscious, awake and aware of the habitual fragmented mind.

Our mind is normally full of noise,

repetitive thoughts, worries, bad habits,

and the most extreme example of that is of course what is called obsessive compulsive disorder, O.C.

By clearing away repetitive thoughts, impulses and mental habits,

they do stop returning.

You start to feel more in control and your mind will become noise-free.

Repetitive thoughts and impulses are fragments of our separate mind, of the ego mind.

The ego personality is built entirely from past experiences.

It cannot but help but relive its past.

You, however, are more than your ego mind.

And therefore, you can offer a more conscious perspective.

So if a repetitive thought is insistent keeps recurring,

here's something you can try.

Take a pencil and paper and write down how you feel.

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