Meditation How To: Getting To Know Your Mind
Realising that your mind has a mind of it’s own is probably one of the most incredible things a person can do when they first embark on learning about Meditation.
For too many people it becomes the main obstacle to their progress. I so understand that.
For me, deep down inside I found it a little frightening. I really and truly thought that I was in charge of me. However, I soon discovered that my mind had other ideas!
Remember the list of reasons I quoted in our first “How To” post – First Control Your Body? Here they are again.
- I couldn’t stop thinking
- I couldn’t concentrate
- I couldn’t make my mind silent
I was shocked to be perfectly honest. Shocked at the negativity I discovered in there when I really had a good hard look and shocked at how difficult I found it to really understand the way my mind worked. I mean, why wouldn’t it just do what I wanted it to do? Why wouldn’t it just shut up for a few minutes. What on earth was it afraid I was trying to do?
Let me tell you a story.
Everyone (well I think most people anyway) has the same issue with their mind.
Once I realised that I really didn’t know my own mind very well I had to actually set aside some time to get to know it.
I found sitting and watching it a very useful tool in this regard, this is where I discovered the negativity and the anger that I hadn’t realised was there. I discovered that in my mind I was actually quite rigid, negative, judgemental, angry and very mean – mostly to myself. That was quite a shock!
So, with a little guidance from a trusted and much loved friend, I began to journal what I was seeing and hearing in my mind.
I began to look for patterns and processes and I began to understand my mind just a little better. The writing really helped. I had some ‘stuff’ to deal with here and it was getting in the way of my desire to meditate and to create a much better, healthier, happier and fulfilling life for myself.
So, along with your first task:
Learning about your body, watching it, acknowledging it and IGNORING it’s little games until you can comfortably sit for 5 full minutes, you are now going to turn your attention to your mind.
Your task for today:
Find a book you are happy to use as your Meditation Journal, a nice pen or pencil you feel happy to write with and bring them with you to your meditation practice.
Once again, at the time you have chosen as being perfect for your meditation time, go sit comfortably in your chair:
- Feet on the floor, warm enough or cool enough and remember… NO distractions!
Now, take a couple of nice deep breaths. In and out releasing any tension and just really coming into your special, precious meditation time:
- Allow your eyes to close softly, allow your breath to find it’s own natural rhythm
- When your breath and your body have settled comfortably and you feel ready
- Begin TO WATCH YOUR MIND
As with your body, it really won’t take it too long to start trying to get your attention:
- It will remind you of something you may have forgotten… just say thank you, I’ll get to that in 5 minutes.
- It will attempt to distract you with something your have a habit of worrying about… say thank you but I’ll think about that later.
- It will bring a daydream to your mind and try to get to you play along with the story…. if that happens just come back to your breath. Thank your mind for the story but remind yourself that for now you are not participating right now… you are merely watching.
Just as when you were learning to control your body, continue to watch your mind.
- Be kind to it, after all it has only one function and that is to think.
- Acknowledge it’s purpose, thank it for being such an amazing thing,
- Remain disconnected and non-participatory and just watch it’s antics.
You will learn much about it, yourself, your habitual way of thinking and perhaps a glimmer of what lays behind the noise and chatter.
At the end of 5 minutes, spend a minute or two recording your discoveries in your journal.
- Did you manage to sit for the full five minutes?
- Did you find some of the patterns of thinking you engage in?
- Did you discover that you were unable to remain non-engaged with your thoughts?
- Did your body get a little fidgety or did you loose your relaxed state as your mind did it’s thing?
Write all of this down and any emotions, memories or ideas you have as a result.
They will all be incredibly helpful to you over the coming weeks and months as you develop the skills you need to work with your mind and develop your meditation practice.
For the next week or so, practice this mind process and try to integrate it into your body practice which you have already mastered. You are now well on the way to developing your own precious meditation practice.
If you would like to receive audio and video recordings as they become available that may assist you develop your meditation techniques and practice,
- Just put your name and email address into the box at the right hand side of this page and I will add it to the list of fantastic meditation resources I’m developing to assist you.
Remember, practice this exercise until you can sit, relaxed and still, watching your mind for a full five minutes. I know you can do it.
