Photo credit: Taken by Joseph RENGER under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
How many times have you tried to meditate, but still you can’t achieve stillness of the mind? If you have tried hard enough, but still your mind is wandering off, you might get totally frustrated. Before you give up or judge yourself as incompetent to meditate, you have to take a few steps back first. Before you finally throw the white towel, you have to understand that this is a long process, and it’s okay if you just can’t get it right on your first few tries. This article will cover some tips on how you can focus when meditating especially when you think you can’t.
The True Definition of Meditation
First of all, the reason why you get frustrated when you meditate is because you define meditation as the stillness of the mind. The truth is that meditation is not an end, it is a journey. When you think your mind is wandering off somewhere when you meditate, it is completely normal! A lot of people may seem calm and relaxed from the outside, but deep inside, their mind is also wandering somewhere. The point is that you have your clear intention to reach stillness of the mind. Whatever it is that you put into the whole process means a lot.
Constant Practice
Meditating over and over again is one of the best things you can do. Take note that you can only enjoy the entire process once you have appreciated it. When you think of meditation time, you start getting excited instead of feeling exhausted. When you constantly practice, you might realize that you have already taken big leaps. Of course, it is great if you give yourself a tap in the back or reward yourself every time you have showed signs of improvements.
A Change in Lifestyle
One of the reasons why you feel totally restless when you meditate is because you have a lot of things in mind. Of course, you want to focus on what you are doing, but every time you remember a problem, be it at home or at work, you can’t meditate. The point is for you to learn how to focus your attention on meditating despite your problems. However, it pays a lot if you change your lifestyle. Let go of things that stress you out. Confront people who make you feel uncomfortable or totally restless. By then, the next time you meditate, you already have peace of mind. It will be easier for you to focus on your goal.
A Few Tricks
If you really wish to meditate, the first thing that you need to do is to be aware of your body. You can start by being aware of your breath. Listen to the sound that you produce when you inhale and exhale. Then, start to lift your fingers and place them in your face. Run them in circles until you can feel slight tingling sensation. You can also start pushing your tongue towards the roof of your mouth. These are small actions that will make you fully aware of your body without necessarily moving a lot. Describe your feeling while doing these actions and remind yourself that you are in control of your body and what you feel.
Take the Time
The biggest trick is for you to just let loose. Take the time to learn and practice. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You meditate because you want to feel good. If it does not make you feel great, then something is wrong. You need to stop for a while until such time that you feel like meditating again.