Meditation is often seen as a spiritual practice, and sure, there is that connection.
Maybe that’s down to how ancient cultures historically used this powerful practice to connect to deeper parts of themselves and a higher order of being, and that many still do to this day!
What I’ve recently realised, though, is that while this connection exists, meditation is more of a mind and mind-body practice than we realise…
The practice of meditation is many things, including learning to become aware of the mind without reacting to our thoughts or casting judgment.
Many years ago, when I first started meditation (and I think this ideology still exists today), I thought it was about sitting in a lotus pose, maybe humming, with the expectation to clear every thought. And that if I didn’t, if I had a thought or got distracted, then I had somehow drastically failed.
Sound familiar?! 😅
However, having practised meditation for many years and, more importantly, having merged what I’ve learned with the teachings and wisdom of way more acute leaders in this space than me, I’ve realised this ideology couldn’t be further from the truth.
Meditation isn’t about clearing your mind and having no thoughts.
In fact, that’s nearly impossible. (More on that in a moment.)
Meditation, as stated, is about becoming more aware of the mind through becoming present and fully connected to the moment.
This is most notably done through the power of the breath. (This differs from breathwork, which I may share more about another time.)
When we come back to and have conscious control over the breath, aka our breathing, we shift our physiology, emotional and mental state. And it’s incredibly difficult to get too worried about the future or ruminate on the past because we’re living in the present moment. We’re focused on the here and now.
This is the start of all meditation. 🧘♂️
Once we’re here, and we’ve accepted that clearing our minds is an impossible task and not the goal of meditation, we begin to be at peace with the fact that, at times, we’re going to be distracted by our thoughts.
That’s where the real meditation begins…
Because the practice of meditation isforgetting and coming back, forgetting and coming back, forgetting and coming back.
In other words, meditation is about getting ourselves into a state whereby we are calm, relaxed, and still, by focusing on our breath, and then waiting, watching, and observing the mind without reacting or casting judgment.
Powerful, right?!
Also, uncomfortable for most. Especially when we first get started.
Because we observe our thoughts, and we question: Oh sht, where did that thought come from? 😬
We judge ourselves for thinking negative or bad thoughts about ourselves, others, or the world, and immediately go into “never wanting to experience that again!”
The challenge is that negative or bad thoughts are an innate part of the human experience.
The mind is going to do what the mind is going to do, and these thoughts are part of that.
This doesn’t mean we don’t have any control over our minds.
In fact, through repetition, self-work, and conscious personal growth, we can reprogram our minds in any way that we choose, and learn to think and be more abundant, optimistic, and grateful more of the time.
That still doesn’t mean that we will never have a bad thought again.
The Law of Polarity states that everything has an opposite…
Therefore, there can be no good without bad.
And there can be no bad without good.
My point is: stop running away from negative or bad thoughts and learn to navigate and process them in healthier and better ways, because they are part of the human experience and aren’t going away any time soon. Even for the best of us!
What we have to remember is that even when we are calm, relaxed, composed, and in a meditative state, supposedly with “no thoughts”, subconsciously, there are thousands of thoughts still bubbling away in the background.
We’re just not aware of them due to the state we’re in. And, being aware of them all would be overwhelming to say the least, so our minds are actually doing us a favour.
And this is where meditation can be helpful, because when we are in calmer, more composed states, we’re able to make more rational choices and decisions.
And therefore, live more consciously. ✨
When meditation becomes part of our lifestyle, we become calmer and composed most of the time and remember what truly matters to us.
We react less, judge less, and don’t let the small things bother us so much.
And when we fall from grace, we’re able to catch ourselves quickly and respond a little bit better, which we wouldn’t be able to do if meditation weren’t part of how we just do life.
Meditation is therefore a lifestyle intervention, just like eating nutritious food, regularly exercising, and getting adequate sleep.
Exploring all of this has brought up the following thought:
If the awareness of the mind isn’t the mind… what is it?
Is it part of something bigger? Maybe, consciousness itself?
Anyway, I’ll let you ponder that one…
The underlying message here is that meditation is not only a spiritual practice, as traditionally thought in some (and maybe most) Western cultures. That could be why there’s a bit of taboo around it, because we Westerners don’t really like the concept of spirituality. (More on that another day.)
Meditation is also a powerful mind and mind-body practice that enables us to observe the mind and all of the thoughts it brings up, without reacting or casting judgment.
Sure, you may experience spiritual insights. Many do.
Just don’t let the spiritual connection with meditation put you off all of the amazing benefits that this powerful practice can, and so often does have.
There isn’t only one way to meditate.
You can meditate in whichever way you like, guided or not, lying on your bed, sitting in a chair, it doesn’t really matter.
The common denominator is getting rid of all distractions, such as your phone, technology, etc., and intentionally setting aside some time. Five or ten minutes is a great starting place to just be in the present moment, observing how the breath happens automatically, and focusing there.
It’s there that you will begin to notice, more consciously, all of your thoughts.
They will distract you from focusing on the breath, but as explained (hopefully well enough 😅), this is the whole point of the practice.
Remember:
The practice of meditation is forgetting and coming back, forgetting and coming back, forgetting and coming back.
The goal isn’t to clear your mind of all your thoughts, but to become more aware and conscious of them.
REMINDERS
1.
You aren’t your thoughts; don’t believe every dumb thought you think.
Our minds produce thoughts nonstop, like a tap with a never-ending supply of water. But not all of them are true or helpful. Through practices like meditation, we get to choose which ones we believe and act on.
2.
The practice of meditation is forgetting and coming back.
Getting distracted in meditation isn’t failing; it’s part of the process. Each time we return to the breath, we deepen our awareness and meditation practice. This is a sign to keep going!
3.
Meditation isn’t about having no thoughts; it’s about observing them.
Trying to clear our minds creates resistance. It’s an uphill battle we’re never going to win. Learn to observe thoughts without judgment instead.