Do you feel like you could never meditate because your mind is always racing? Actually, having a busy mind is the perfect reason to start meditating! Just like we go to the gym because we’re out of shape, we meditate to calm our busy minds.
When you first start meditating, it might be a bit shocking to realize just how unruly your thoughts are, but that’s perfectly fine. It’s all part of the process, and it’s something we learn to accept over time.
Meditation helps us understand that it’s okay to have a lot going on in our heads. Trying to fight or suppress our thoughts often only makes us tense and frustrated. In meditation, we often focus on our breathing. Naturally, we’ll get distracted, but when we notice this, we simply bring our focus back to our breath. Think of it as a cycle: focus on breathing, get distracted, and return to breathing.
Those moments when we realize we’ve been distracted and come back to our breath are key. Instead of getting frustrated with ourselves, we should celebrate these moments of mindfulness—they are small victories. The more often we get distracted, the more chances we have to practice coming back to our breath and feeling good about it.
Realizing you’ve been distracted is actually a significant moment. When you were lost in your thoughts, you had no control, no mindful awareness. You didn’t choose to think those thoughts consciously; it was like being on autopilot. But when you wake up from that train of thought, mindful awareness kicks back in, and you regain your freedom to choose what to focus on.
Many people think meditation is about entering a trance, but it’s actually the opposite—it’s about waking up from our distracted thinking. When you become mindful again, you move from being an automaton to being fully human. You can choose to direct your mind back to your breath instead of staying lost in thoughts that might make you angry, anxious, or depressed.
Meditation also allows you to change the emotional quality of your mind. You can choose patience and kindness towards yourself whenever you get distracted, gently bringing your focus back to your breath, just like returning a baby bird to its nest.
Regularly choosing to return to your breath rather than staying distracted has long-term benefits for your mind. It helps you become calmer, kinder, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.
Remember, meditation is most valuable when you feel too distracted to do it. That’s when you need it the most. Keep practicing, and you’ll continue to improve.