The Meditative State: What to do When You Just Can't Get There
"Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety or doubt."
- St. Francis de Sales
Some of us know this problem all too well. Picture this! You have carved out time in your busy schedule to devote to your mental and spiritual well-being and really your physical health. Your stressful life means that this time will benefit you greatly. Your candles lit, quite music playing and the lights dim. You have the perfect spot, you have picked your position, whether in a chair, sitting on the floor with a pillow, laying in Corpse pose or some other relaxing body position. You take a deep breath, close your eyes and the trouble begins.
You know the exceptional benefits of regular yoga, but every time you try the story is the same. Your ear itches, your spine is not straight, or you need to fidget. You have lost three, five, sometimes ten minutes calming your physical discomforts, but now you can get down to business.
Reset yourself, eyes closed and then phase two starts. The brain, “What should I make for dinner? Is there enough gas in the car to make it through the next two days? What goes on the grocery list? Did I pay the gas bill? When is the power due?”
Before you know it, your music is over, your alarm goes off and that delicately carved spot in schedule for your meditation is gone. No benefits achieved, no knowledge gained and enlightenment just as far off as when you started. Add to that the stress of your new failure and it all really and truly seems pointless.
Sound familiar well you’re not alone. I struggled for years with tucking my hair behind my ears, peaking to see what that noise was and reviewing my to-do list for the evening or the next day. But, a hand full of helpful tips I picked up over the years changed everything and now each time I carve out a little space for my mental well-being, it is effective and refreshing. Here they are:
Tip #1: A Buddhist monk once said that meditation was like watching a flowing river you see things pass, you can acknowledge them, but can’t hold on them.
When you sit down for your meditation, treat your mind, even your body as the river. Your nose itches, know it will pass. A thought flows into your mind, acknowledge it. Tell yourself “Sure, I need to think about that, but I am meditating now,” and allow the thought to flow out of focus as easily as it came into your mind.
Tip #2: Pay attention to your breathing.
Common knowledge says for optimal meditation to breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth. However, this took a lot of concentration for me to maintain. After many years of difficulty, a teacher of mine told me I should attempt breathing exclusively through my nose.
Exclusively nose breathing was more natural and cleansing for me. I still focus on pulling good in with the inhalation and evacuating negative energies and thoughts on exhalation. This simple fix gave meditation an ease I had never experienced.
Tip #3: Give yourself a purpose.
If you decide your meditation is going to be used for charkra clearing, cleansing or balancing or if you just want to clear your mind and gather yourself, having a purpose for your meditation can clearly give you a goal. It changes the time from being put aside to do this amorphous task, if you have never been in a meditative state it doesn’t really have any meaning, into time with a clear cut goal
Tip #4: Give yourself a visualization
Whether it comes from an internal mantra or outside audio, maintaining a visual to hold in your mind’s eye can help block out the rest of the world. I excel with simple visualizations such as energy direction, running in circle up my back and down my front, or bright white light shaft passing from the top of my head down my spine. Simple, repetitive visualization that keep my breathing mindful or my posture appropriate.
However, these aren’t the only route. More complex scenarios consist of building your paradise, caring for a zen garden or watching a brook. These can be learned, self-taught even or you could use an outside source such as purchased recording or YouTube video.
If you are having a hard time meditating or try any of these tips, leave a comment. Did any of these tips help you? Are you having some other problem meditating?
