We are currently in week 6 of the Ignite Your SPARK: Transformational Leadership Masterclass. During last week’s session, one of the participants asked,
“How can I meditate when my mind keeps wandering?“
Over my last 25 years as a leadership coach and inspirational speaker, I have often encountered this question and many others like these concerning the practice of meditation.
To begin with, meditation in all its forms and practices can be an incredibly self-affirming and empowering practice. Its benefits have been acknowledged for centuries.
Whether mindfulness and breath-awareness practices, contemplative prayer, silent sitting, chanting, or remembrance, meditation has been the cornerstone of spiritual practice across diverse religions and belief systems worldwide.
Today science also validates its profound impact on both mental and physical health. Research indicates that regular meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, and low moods by promoting relaxation and emotional stability. It enhances cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and decision-making, thanks to its ability to increase grey matter in brain regions associated with these skills.
Meditation also benefits physical health by lowering blood pressure, improving heart health, and boosting the immune system. Additionally, it has been shown to reduce chronic pain and improve sleep quality. These benefits underscore meditation’s role as a powerful tool for enhancing overall well-being and quality of life.
While the majority agree that meditation can be highly rewarding, many people find it challenging to incorporate it into their daily lives, with reasons ranging from restlessness and boredom to lack of focus and discomfort.
So, in this blog, I am sharing my suggestions to demystify meditation and help resolve some of the most common challenges:
1. Restlessness and Fidgeting
Challenge: You find it difficult to remain still or experience a lot of restless energy while meditating.
Solution: Start small and stack up. Instead of starting with a 30-minute session, begin with a 5-minute session in your first week and gradually move up to 20 minutes or even one hour.
Secondly, focus your attention on your breath. Don’t try to control it. Just breathe normally and observe it. Gradually you will see it slowing down. And with it your mind and body will also relax, helping you relieve some of that restless energy.
Also if you always find your body restless during meditation, schedule your practice early morning after a good night’s rest or after a workout or a long walk. Physical exercise will help burn off excess energy and help your body calm down during meditation.
2. Mind Wandering
Challenge: Your mind keeps wandering and getting distracted by thoughts.
Solution: The mind’s job is to think constantly for that’s its nature and role to ensure your very survival. However, while this thinking ability is vital for daily life, to be consumed by incessant and repetitive thoughts that do not lead you to make any worthwhile reflections, learnings or changes, is both depleting and distracting.
But how do you stop a thought? Anyone who has tried it knows that it is futile.
The answer lies in detachment. Adopt the role of an observer. Instead of latching on to a thought or becoming involved in its storyline, observe it like a watcher watches moving clouds in the sky. Let them pass by. If you find yourself jumping onto one, gently detach and bring your attention back to your breath. If you feel a strong emotion arising, acknowledge it, try to breathe into it, and let it go.
In the beginning, you’ll have many hits and misses. But as your daily practice deepens, you will find these thoughts gradually reducing or becoming less intrusive with time. Remember, more than anything else, the key to becoming a good meditator is consistency.
3. Drowsiness and Sleepiness
Challenge: You feel sleepy, especially during longer sessions.
Solution: First check if you are sleep-deprived. If you try to meditate when you haven’t slept well or are too exhausted, your mind might see this as an opportunity to catch up on much-needed rest. Hence always ensure you are adequately rested.
Second, schedule your meditation practice at a time when you are alert. Make sure your posture is upright and avoid meditating in a place associated with sleep, like your bed. You can also try stimulating your senses by using an aromatherapy scent like peppermint, lemon, or clove, to keep your mind alert.
4. Physical Discomfort
Challenge: You experience pain or discomfort while sitting in meditation.
Solution: Ensure you’re sitting up straight with your spine erect and shoulders relaxed. If you’re sitting on the floor, use a cushion or folded blanket to elevate your hips and relieve pressure from your lower back. Experiment with different sitting positions or practice meditation while walking if sitting becomes too uncomfortable. If it’s too painful to sit through, take a break. Get up, walk around for a few minutes, or gently stretch. You can even do a body scan, focusing on each part of your body, starting with your toes and working your way up to your head, tensing and relaxing different muscle groups to gently relax into meditation.
5. Frustration and Self-Judgment
Challenge: You feel frustrated with your progress or are too critical of your practice.
Solution: Practice self-compassion and understand that meditation improves with time and patience. Celebrate small victories and progressions.
6. Lack of Immediate Results
Challenge: You are not seeing results fast enough or are feeling discouraged.
Solution: Remember that meditation benefits accumulate over time. Keep a journal to track subtle changes and improvements in your well-being, mood, and ability to handle stress. Schedule meditation as part of your daily routine, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Consistency is key, so prioritize it like any other important task.
The underlying key is to remember that successful meditation lies in patience, consistency, and self-compassion. Keep practising, and gradually you will experience the profound benefits that meditation has to offer.
If you are interested in sharing something about your practice, feel free to share your experience and suggestions in the comments section below. Sharing can not only help others but also yourself as each of us is at different stages of our meditative journey and has valuable insights to offer.