There is a very old tradition taught by indigenous elders from the Americas that trains us to use the voice of the mind to be free of the voice. The term these elders use for this process is called “stalking.” It is understood that the word stalking has some negative connotations in our society. However, stalking is an honored part of this Medicine Way. These societies were hunter-gatherers: Just as they stalked animals for their energy, we have been taught to stalk the voice in the mind for its energy.  In stalking, we use three areas of awareness to assist us in finding energy. The first is our thoughts: judgmental and critical, future or past, and self-pitying. The second place we look for energy is emotion: Am I having an emotional reaction to this person or event? The third area of awareness is physical: If I am unaware of my thinking or emotional responses, I can almost always become aware of physical tension or upset in the body.  Stalking is proactive: I begin to look for judgmental/critical thoughts and when and where they occur. For example, if someone cuts me off in traffic, …