Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Meditation and Mind-Wandering
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I've been meditating off and on since I was about 13, and I have read tons and practiced ALL SORTS of different kinds of meditations.My conclusion: there is no one right way or wrong way to meditate. It can be helpful to have different approaches to use at different times, depending on the intention or needs at the time of meditating. It is nice to have several different approaches in your meditation tool belt so that you can choose what feels right for you in the moment.The most important aspect of meditation is to go easy. Even scientific meditation studies show that the particulars of how you meditate are not NEARLY as important as the "going easy" part.When your mind wanders, and it will... (It is very important to remember that everyone's mind wanders some when they meditate. Knowing that it will wander really helps with the going easy.)So, when it wanders, use whatever works for YOU in THIS MOMENT to let go and go with the flow and empty your mind -- the possibilities are infinite. Here are just a few ways to re-focus for you to consider:
Your breath -- focus on the sensations of your breathing, notice every physical sensation associated with your breathing, every minute detail of it OR focus on a relaxed pattern of breathing, an IN-2-3, OUT-2-3 sort of thing, OR focus on the space between the in-breath and the out-breath, OR ... there are HUNDREDS of things you can do with your breath.
Sound -- focus on a repetitive music or a recorded mantra, a mechanical droning or repetitive sound, the sound of the wind in the trees, the sound of the waves in the sea...
Mantra -- focus on a word or phrase you can repeat either aloud or in your mind (best if this word is neutral to you).
Visual -- a flower (my favorite), the ocean, a stone, a leaf, the flame of a candle, a fire in the fireplace, really anything (again either with your eyes or in your mind's eye).
Listen -- to a guided meditation and follow in your imagination.
Walk -- with intention and attention to every single sensation and sound of the NOW of the experience. Just keep re-turning your thoughts to your chosen focus with the intention of meditating.
And, finally, I close with one of my all-time favorite mind calming statements "I am here; all is well."
