Do you ever think, “I could never meditate; my mind’s too busy”? Well, having a busy mind is actually one of the best reasons to meditate, not a reason to avoid it! Just like going to the gym helps you get fit, meditating helps your busy mind become calmer.
When you start meditating, you might be surprised at how unruly your mind is, but that’s completely normal. It’s something you learn to accept. As you meditate, you realize it’s okay to have lots of thoughts. Trying to fight or suppress these thoughts only makes you tense and feeling like you’ve failed. Meditation often involves focusing on your breathing. Sure, you’ll get distracted quickly, but when you catch yourself, just gently return your focus to your breathing. It becomes a process: follow the breathing, get distracted, return to the breathing. Repeat.
These moments when you notice you’ve been distracted and return to breathing are crucial. Instead of cursing yourself – “Ugh, I’ve been distracted again!” – recognize that you’ve made a small but important success by returning to mindful awareness. It’s an opportunity to appreciate your little victories. In fact, the more you get distracted, the more chances you have to feel good about refocusing on your breath!
A very significant thing happens when you realize you’ve been distracted. Your consciousness shifts subtly but profoundly. When you’re caught in a train of thought, it’s like you’re on automatic pilot with no mindful awareness or free will. You didn’t intentionally decide to think about what’s on your mind, and you couldn’t step away from these thoughts. This distracted thinking is like dreaming. But when your mindful awareness returns, you wake up from this daydream and regain control. In that moment, you become free.
Contrary to popular belief, meditation isn’t about entering a trance but waking up from one. As soon as you step back into mindful awareness, you transition from being on autopilot to becoming more fully human. You regain the freedom to direct your mind. You can choose to focus on your breathing rather than get wrapped up in distracting thoughts that often evoke anger, tension, anxiety, or depression.
This regained free will lets you take responsibility for your mind and even your destiny. You’re free to change your emotional state, choosing patience and kindness toward yourself. Every time you bring your focus back to your breathing gently, like returning a baby bird to its nest, you’re making a long-term change in your mind’s behavior. You become calmer, kinder, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.
Even if you’ve been practicing meditation for a while, you might make excuses to skip it because you’re “too distracted.” But really, that’s when you need it the most! Embrace meditation and you’ll find it incredibly rewarding.