One of my favorite things to do is to meditate. It is so calming and nurturing to my mind, body and soul. It is one of my favorite ways to restore my energy, clarity and focus. I often receive some amazing information when I meditate especially when I reach the point where everything is quiet and still within. It wasn’t always like this, I remember when I first began to meditate my mind would chatter non-stop. I felt like it was going 100 miles per minute. There were times that I would get so wrapped up in the mind chatter that at the end of my mediation session I wasn’t sure if I received any benefits. However later I discover that even though it may have appeared that I was not benefitting through the times of non-stop mind chatter, I was actually benefitting beyond my belief.
Study after study has shown the tremendous benefits that mediation has on the mind and the body. Neuroscience can show us what happens in the brain when we meditate. For instance areas of the brain associated with stress slows down and parts of the brain associated with feeling joy, peace and compassion become active. The evidence that meditation triggers positive changes within the brain and the body is overwhelming whether we are meditating with mind chatter or not.
For the beginner meditator who is not aware of the positive changes occurring within the brain and the body, the mind chatter may be just enough to frustrate them to the point where they feel like they want to quit. If you fit into this category, don’t fret because I want to understand that you are not alone and there are some things that you can do to assist you with the mind chatter.
One of the things you can do is just let the mind chatter. Don’t get wrapped up in the chatter just let the thoughts come and go. Let the thoughts come in and let them roll out similar to watching the waves of the ocean roll in to the shore and roll back out the ocean. Just let them be without focusing on what they are and why they exist. When you practice meditation regularly, you will begin to notice that part of the mind that is untouched by thoughts. You might experience that deeper layer of consciousness as a pure sense of being or as a sense of being a witness. Sometimes it feels as if you have plunged into the deeper water of the mind, where it is calm while all the time the mental chatter continues. In other words the mind can keep thinking but you are not affected by those thoughts.
Another tool that you can use is your breath. It is a wonderful way to assist you with not getting too wrapped up and focused on the thoughts that are flowing into your mind.
As a matter of fact, each time you feel that you are beginning to focus on the chatter within your mind shift your focus to taking in a deep breath and letting it out. The breathing helps to distract you from the mind chatter while allowing your body to take in much need oxygen and release the toxic carbon dioxide. Mindful breathing is a form of pranayama and is so yummy to use during the mediation process.
The last suggestion that I have to offer to you is to simply let yourself keep coming back to the sensations of the breath in the body, or the felt sense of energy in the heart or the vibratory quality of a mantra. A mantra is something that you repeat throughout your meditation session such as the word, “Om” or “Peace.” By doing these things in time you will notice the thoughts drift more and more into the background while the underlying sense of being comes more into the foreground and what a wonderful feeling that is.
Wishing you much health and wellness!
Namaste,
Rochele Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS
The Queen of Feeling Fabulous
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