To meditate is to disengage from a seemingly ever-present mental chatterbox and reflect on just one pure thought. If you think this sounds easy, stop reading this article for a moment and witness your thoughts. Are they jumping from subject to subject? Are you thinking in fragmented thoughts? Do thoughts randomly pop into your head for no apparent reason? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, the following information will be helpful to you.
To Practice
Sit in a comfortable position, free from external distractions. Close your eyes and focus on one single thought, whether it is a word, image or repetitive sound.
Concentrate fully to keep your focus on this one thought without interruption. If you make it even just 30 seconds without any other thoughts entering your mind, you are doing remarkably well.
What to Expect
If at first you don’t succeed, simply try again. Meditation requires a tremendous amount of effort and repetition to master but yields great benefits, so be patient. It is not uncommon to want to just ditch the practice all together, as it can be extremely difficult to focus and concentrate. When your thoughts go willy-nilly, take a break and then try again later.
You may notice your thoughts slowing down, giving you a sense of clarity and spaciousness. If this happens, it means you’re getting the hang of it.
If for even just a fleeting moment you lose your sense of time and space, you’ve done it! That means you are well on your way to being a master rather than a slave to your thoughts.
Meditation Tips
- At first, practice meditating in short intervals, around five to ten minutes at a time. As you get more comfortable with it, you can extend the length of your practice.
- Try not to get frustrated when your mind starts to wonder. If this happens, simply refocus and try again.
- If your lower back, hips or legs are uncomfortable in your seated position, take the time to readjust. Nothing is more distracting than an aching body.
Benefits
When we have mastery over our thoughts, they no longer dominate us. We let go of the anxiety causing push-pull relationship our uncontrolled thoughts have against our will power, ability to trust, self-esteem and efficiency in completing a task. We become better at making decisions from a clear and open mind, rather than relying on the metal chatterbox that doesn’t serve a purpose in our lives.
Cost
It doesn’t cost a dime to meditate on your own; however joining a meditation group may require a small fee.
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