Mindful Serenity: Strategies for Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts During Meditation
Despite the best intentions, when one attempts to stop the flow of thoughts, it tends to have a mind of its own, as it often goes rogue into a tangent that propels our awareness into every meditation, space, and time other than the present. Within minutes, your awareness can quickly revert anywhere from early childhood to earlier in the week. Be it the past, future, or otherwise, one thought quickly leads to another, and the next thing you know, you’re caught up in a series of distractions that can take you into an absolute whirlwind of wayward thoughts that take you away from the practice.
Essentially, your attention is pulled in every possible direction imaginable but the present moment. You are raising several questions about how one should practice amid such unpredictability. This realization can lead one to wonder what others have that enables them to practice despite swirling thoughts. More importantly, it leads you to question if you are the only one who experiences the pull of disruptive thoughts. This is often a significant deterrent to mediation. Rightfully so, this can easily lead you down a path of self-critique and doubt, which mostly leads you to question whether meditation practice is a good fit.
The good news is that if you’ve ever pondered these questions, you are not alone, as everyone has experienced the swirl of wayward thoughts at one point or another. Regardless of who you are, no one is exempt. Most importantly, you are not lacking anything. Unlike most things, meditation is not just something you can read about and master practice mechanics. Essentially, it’s not a destination; it’s a lifelong practice that evolves and expands with perseverance and consistency.
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to silence your thoughts? Well, I'm so glad you asked. Where your attention goes, your energy flows. When your thoughts are intently focused on the fact that you’re thinking instead of meditating, it increases the flow of the thoughts you seek to stop. This same universal truth applies whenever you attempt not to think about a particular person or thing. More than likely, in the same manner, you find that every single thought becomes laser-focused on the exact thing you seek to suppress.
Let’s expand this example a little more onto a particular brand or color of a car. I, for one, experienced instances in which I became aware of a new car model. Within that same instance, I noted that I had not seen this latest model on the road. The next thing I knew, practically everywhere I looked, it was all I noticed.
This is a perfect example of where our awareness and energy flow go. The fact that I began to notice this car everywhere didn’t mean that it became more prevalent; it just meant that the more I focused on the particular make, model, and color, the more I attracted it into my awareness. This same notion applies to our thoughts; they are ever-present in our day-to-day lives. However, the more intently we become aware of its persistence, the more we become aware of its tenacity, creating more of the same. Hence, the swirl of rampant thoughts rapidly increases.
When it comes to meditation, we can have the best of intentions. However, despite what we intend, an immeasurable number of things outside our control can change the course of our plans. Meditation is the practice of paying in-distractible attention to an intended focus. It would be the same as intently staring at a specific object. Theoretically, it seems easy enough until you begin to practice.
Although meditation can be done with your eyes open or closed, it’s mostly done with your eyes closed as it reduces external distractions, supporting you to redirect your attention within. Only distractions equally exist within the inner world and the outer world around us. Finding yourself caught up in distractions paves the way for guilt, blame, and shame, which can quickly spiral into self-critique and judgment. However, if you shift your perspective, it frees you from bogging yourself down with self-doubt. One would think our minds would comply with our intentions and align with our intent to mediate efficiently. However, it doesn’t quite work out as we intended.
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned practitioner, you may find yourself swept up in the wayward flow of your thoughts, intertwined with the random stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with meditation. Perhaps your thoughts have emerged as one of your biggest rivals in developing a practice. Whatever the case, a few different supportive practices can help you advance your practice despite distractions. When this happens, we can tap into several supportive practices to aid us in remaining aligned with our intentions.
When it comes to mediation, using the practice of acceptance, non-judgment, breath, grace, and beginning again can support us in shifting our awareness away from rampant thoughts and onto a focus rooted within the present moment. This reinforces the universal truth that you are enough, just as you are. There is no need to contort, change, or compare your journey to anyone else. You can tap into practices that support you to deepen your practice.
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