Meditation is important in life. It helps one clear their mind and focus on specific things with more detail. Many times I find my mind racing from thought to thought to thought. Sometimes it seems like there is no end and my mind never stops. When my mind is running back and forth like this, many times it is totally unorganized and I don’t stay on one topic long enough to make lasting progress. It seems like I am busy in these situations because my mind is work and working hard. But at the end of the day all I have are several half thought thoughts. I want to discuss some of the techniques I have found to help me when I want to really control my mind and meditate.
Distractions
Eliminating distractions is key especially when one is out of the routine or hasn’t meditated for a while. There are so many things in this life that want to control our attention and so many things that we want to give our attention to. If we remove ourselves from as many of these distractions as possible, the less we will have to compete with. As we dive deep into thought, we don’t want to be worrying about the chair we are sitting on, what we ate for lunch, or the noise of the neighbors next door. Some techniques I have seen others use that have helped me include:
- Turn on some soft music to cover the un-wanted noise. For me it typically helps to have music without words and without major variations in the rhythm and beats so it doesn’t call attention to itself.
- Wear comfortable clothes. If my mind keeps focusing on how uncomfortable my left sock is, I have a tough time. It may take a while to find what works for you, it may even be that you meditate and then as you notice all of the small things that draw your attention, you remove them.
- It also helps to have a quite place where no one will interrupt you. You may consider telling your spouse, kids or roommates if they could not interrupt you, or go somewhere peaceful like a park.
Purpose
One of the first steps of meditation is to have something to focus on. I try to ask myself one question or have one specific idea that I want to explore more in-depth. This helps me focus my thoughts. As my mind begins using more of its resources on this one idea, I am able to explore it more fully.
In my studies of meditation, I have come across many teachers who seemed to be saying that the whole goal of meditation was to completely clear your mind and think of nothing. While this is calming (especially after a stressful day), I like to have a question that I want to ponder so that I get closer to having my answers.
Record
It helps me to have a notebook or computer near by to record my thoughts. It is tough sometimes to make sure these don’t become distractions themselves. But it is important to keep record of great break thoughts. The next time I meditate I can then take these notes back out, review them to see what needs more attention and pick up where I left off. It also helps be accountable for your time. Many times when I meditate I come up with great goals and plans for how I want to do things. If I have the great ideas and never act on them, they are of less worth. If instead I take the ideas and run with them, I am able to accomplish much good.