How to Meditate Properly | Why it doesn't work for me?
So let’s talk about why it may seem that in the beginning your meditation practice may not seem to be working.
First you need to understand that it’s not you, this is a normal difficulty often experienced when we first begin meditation, and it relates to our assumptions about the nature of mind.
When we first start to meditate we think or assume that our thoughts or the mind is the source of awareness, and that this mind is in charge of the whole process, you actually believe that through mind power alone you can control yourself, your thoughts and your awareness.
But meditation is not a process of the minds power or strength of Will and you need to see the mind and its associated thought processes for what they are.
You could even say that the mind is like child, a child that just can’t stand still, so the mind just keeps on chattering, and trying to distract itself. And this can seem like the mind has a Will of its own and is baiting you with distraction. So that you will not discover the shocking truth, the truth that the mind is not real, it is not who you are.
First of all let me tell you something about meditation, meditation in its basic bare bones form is composed of only two parts, “mindfulness” and or “concentration”.
Concentration is the art of focusing on one thing and becoming deeply more intimate with it. As the meditation progresses you become more relaxed and present with this one thing on deeper and deeper levels.
And Mindfulness is the art of being present with experience that is happening NOW in the present moment. But what often happens instead is that when we try to concentrate, our mind wanders and we enter into a wrestling match against future or past possible actions or feeling.
So the ability to meditate in its most pure form, is about achieving a state of no mind, a state of pure awareness that is free from thoughts. But of course we only need to achieve a small taste of this pure awareness, so even meditating for just five minutes regularly will have a slow accumulative effect on the mind.
The mind is nothing more than an organic program that you can be re-program or trained like a pet, the problem is that when you try to force the mind to do what you want, you unwittingly re-program it to do the opposite. Much like creating a negative emotional reaction in the same way a child will do the opposite if you try to force them.
So instead of trying to force the mind or bend it to your Will, use a little child psychology on yourself, be gentle, be aware, and be patient, stop worrying about the thoughts. Let them wander, just be aware of the fact that you have stray thoughts. Once you are aware you are thinking then use a strategy for focusing the mind. This is how you will eventually stop your thoughts while meditating, you train the mind by increasing its ability to focus.
The first method is the Zen approach of counting your breaths from 1 to 10, and if that is to long then start the count from 1 to 3 until your focus improves. Full support available in Zazen Guided Meditation (20-Minute Meditation) and a Free Guided Zen Meditation | Zazen Meditation which are also available in blog format.
The second method is the use of an affirmation to re-program the mind, by repeating this affirmation you will be amazed at how quickly your mind stops trying to interrupt your meditation. To see the Visual version of affirmation follow this link your can also Download a Free Meditation Tips Information Sheet
The third is to try a guided meditation training program, this is very effective and can be used for as long as is needed. I have lots of FREE Guided Meditations on the Meditation Audio Singles Page.
These first two methods use a repetitive process that really bores the mind into submission. The third methods effectiveness depends on your willingness to practice regularly. Ultimately which ever method you use relies on regular and constant practice and then once the mind loses interest in controlling your meditation you will find that higher awareness will start to filter through into your everyday meditation and eventually into everyday awareness.
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Related Meditation Posts
Types of Meditation Practices: 7 Popular Meditations | Guided Grounding Meditation: How to Ground and Center Yourself | How To Do Zen (Zazen) Meditation | Primordial Sound Meditation: Ah Meditation | How to Meditate Properly: Why it doesn't work for me? | How to Practice Mindfulness Every Day | 10-Minute Guided Meditation for Focus and Relaxation | Combination Ah mantra and Guided Grounding Meditation (Combination Ah mantra and Guided Grounding Meditation) | How To Do Mindfulness Meditation: Different Approaches | 30-Minute Guided Imagery Meditation accompanied by ambient background music | Why We Find It Hard To Meditate: Some Of The Common Reasons
References
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