7 Reasons You Can't Meditate (and what you can do about it) Part 2- "My Head Is Too Busy&qu
- Jul 6, 2017
- 2 min read
In this 7 part series, we explore the Top 7 Reason People Don't Meditate. Here's Part 2: "My Head Is Too Busy!"
You sit down, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and suddenly, you find yourself distracted by all the things you need to do, problems come to mind, you begin to stress out and just can’t concentrate. Does this sound familiar? Welcome to beginning meditation. You’re not alone!
What’s happening, in most cases, is that you’re becoming aware of where you’ve placed your energy. This is a natural part of the process.
As you put your attention on getting centered and clear, the first thing that happens is that all the things that keep you from being centered and clear come to mind. You’ve heard of “being the neutral observer”? This is the beginning of that. One of my teachers would advise “when observing your train of thought, it’s best to not be standing on the tracks!”
Therefore, many teachers have you close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Not only does it begin to cut down on the distractions of what’s going on around you, it gives you something to focus on other than your thoughts.
In every modality, every religion, every form of meditation, there is a universal process that occurs: shifting from the “outer world” to the “inner world”. And this is part of that process. This process is not too difficult. You do it all the time. But, more on that later.
When this happens, consider opening your eyes and pick a point in the room (other than your computer monitor, your phone or television!) to focus on. A pillow, a picture frame, a chair. Whatever. Just focus your vision on it and allow the thoughts to run. Be aware of when you “go into” your thoughts and gently remind yourself to put your attention on the point of awareness and let your thoughts run outside of your attention.
There is a difference between “attention” and “awareness”. As you focus your attention on the object, lightly be aware of the thoughts running and let them run. They will begin to calm down after a few minutes and you can then try it with your eyes closed.
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