“Too many thoughts”, “Can’t sit still”, “When will it be over?”, “Am I doing it correctly?”, “Nothing’s happening”. Have you ever had those thoughts during your meditation? Well, you’re not alone; these are by far the biggest complaints people make about their meditation practice. As new meditators, we all had these concerns, and even after many years, they still pop up from time to time. But please don’t give up, these are, in fact, good experiences.
The first step to managing restlessness and impatience is to understand the feelings. There are three basic types of experiences you can have during meditation:
While we all would prefer for our meditations to be silent, all these experiences are correct. Meditation is a process of purification. The mind and body gain deep levels of rest, which allow stresses, fatigues, and toxins to be released. This release increases the activity of the mind and body, causing you to have thoughts and perhaps feel restless. Your essence, who you really are, has been covered over by layer upon layer of the nonsense life has sent your way. Meditation is a process of peeling off these layers to reveal the magnificence that lies within. So, even though you may complain about these disturbances, they are the indication that something good is happening. As Mother Teresa said, “Restlessness is only the surface level of a beautiful wellspring of energy within.” Also remember that you can think thoughts at the superficial, surface level of the mind and also at deeper, more refined levels. Just because you are having thoughts in meditation doesn’t mean that you aren’t in a very restful state. What is important is when you realize that you’re thinking thoughts, you turn your attention back to the object of your meditation, such as your mantra or breath. This is correct meditation. To choose to continue thinking the thoughts would, in the context of meditation, be a waste of time.
As mentioned before, meditation is a purification process. The thoughts, feelings, and emotions you may have during your meditation are the garbage being thrown out. So, unless you’re the sort of person who looks through the trash to see what you’ve thrown out before the garbage truck arrives, don’t waste time analyzing your meditation experiences. Whether you are having mundane thoughts about your daily activities, seeing beautiful images and hearing celestial singing, or you are listening to Deepak talking about non-local reality, they are not important. The purpose of meditation is to enrich your life. The experiences during meditation will be what they will be; what is important is the shift in awareness you begin to enjoy in your everyday lives as a result of your meditation experiences.
This may help minimize any disturbances. You can meditate anywhere but finding a quiet place is preferable. If you’re at home, switch off the phone, put the children and pets in another room, and let other members of your household know not to bother you.
Let the activity of the day wait a little longer or your meditation will be filled with mentally composing answers to emails and texts.
This allows you to get the kinks out and sit more comfortably.
As you inhale, be aware of how your body feels as well as what’s going on with your thoughts and emotions. As you exhale, have the intention of letting go of anything that doesn’t concern you in that moment. You can come back and address it after the meditation but try to put aside any unnecessary distractions.
In the afternoon, after a day’s activity, it’s often beneficial to take a few extra minutes to settle your mind and body before beginning your meditation. A little stretching, if possible, and even a 10 to 15 minute nap (napping is one of the lost joys of modern society) or 2 to 3 minutes of alternative nostril breathing is a great way to settle in preparation for meditation.
Although the process of meditation itself should be effortless, a little discipline regarding the practice can be helpful. Before starting your session, decide how long you intend to meditate for and commit to sticking with that time no matter what your experiences. When you first leaned to meditate, you did so for a reason. Meditation will eventually fulfill this and unfold other treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Learn to accept your experiences as part of the plan. Don’t sacrifice what you really want for what you think you should have right now. All traditions tell us that patience is a virtue and ultimately, the reward of patience is patience.
Are restlessness or impatience keeping you from connecting with your meditation practice? Join us for our online Primordial Sound Meditation Course and learn how to overcome these barriers. Learn more.
You can listen to coachAOG Excuse To Succeed Podcast Here. You will love it.
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Ayo Ogunrekun
PS:And remember what #coachAOG always say, make sure to "have an #ExcuseToSucceed."
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