So often our minds are filled with stresses and worries that make it nearly impossible for us to take a break.
My mind often feels like there is literal fuzz in it. It’s so cloudy I can’t think of one thing at a time because I’m thinking of so many things at a time, if that makes sense.
Even when I have a moment to relax, I never actually feel relaxed because there’s always something else I’m thinking about. I’m never living in the moment because I’m always thinking about what’s going to happen next.
There are so many things in life that constantly cloud our minds and take away from the present moment. This makes me and a lot of other people constantly feel anxious and distressed.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a practice used to achieve a heightened state of attention and focus. The outcome is a mentally clear and stable mind.
Meditating is the only method I’ve found that can actually clear my mind and help me live in the present. It’s so helpful that it’s like a switch, one minute I feel so overwhelmed with thoughts and then after I meditate my mind is completely clear and I can only think about the present.
How Do I Meditate?
There are really no set rules for how I meditate. I like to do it in the mornings because that’s when my house is the quietest and I like to do it in whichever room I feel most comfortable in.
I don’t set a timer because I noticed that it makes me feel anxious when the timer is about to run out and an alarm is about to start blaring in my ear.
So, I look at the time when I’m starting and shoot for about ten minutes. Typically I end up somewhere between seven to ten minutes but if I end up only doing about 3-5 minutes then I’ll just do another round and see how far I get.
Methods I Use
There are a few methods I like to use when I’m meditating and can’t calm my mind. Sometimes I realize that I’m not actually meditating and I’m just thinking with my eyes closed which isn’t serving a purpose. That’s when I find these especially helpful.
1.Imagine a Tree
The first method I use is imaging a tree surrounded by blackness. Every time a thought comes into your mind, don’t pay it any attention but imagine it’s attached to an apple on the tree.
Imagine the apple (with the thought attached to it) falls off the tree and rolls away, out of your field of view. Now the thought is out of your mind.
If the thought ends up coming back, imagine it falling off the tree again.
Continue doing this for every thought that comes into your mind.
2.Imagine a black chalk board
Imagine you are staring at a black chalk board. For this to work, you have to imagine yourself so close to the chalkboard that you can’t see anything else but the blackness.
Try to keep the chalkboard black for as long as possible. When a thought comes into your mind, imaging it written across the chalkboard and then being erased. Do this for every thought that comes into your mind.
3.Focus on Your Surroundings
The third method is to focus on your surroundings. Identify what you can see, hear, and smell and focus in on it.
Focus on the way your feet lay on the ground and imagine energy being pulled up from the earth. Imagine this energy circulating from you toes, to your finger tips, and to the top of your head.
This will help you become grounded in the present moment. As you focus on what you can sense now you start to realize that that is all that matters and nothing else that is in your head is real in this moment.
Don’t Become Discouraged
Remember, meditation is a skill and it takes a lot of time and practice to master. When I first started, it was difficult to get my mind to stop running but over time it became easier to calm it down.
It’s important to remember not to become discouraged if it takes you a long time to calm your mind. Know that this happens to everyone, especially when you’re just getting started.
Stick with it and you’ll continue improving and noticing the changes in you life.