Meditation

One of the most common experiences that almost every single person who practises meditation will experience is this frustrated feeling like it isn't working or like they're doing something wrong. Naturally we're told how meditation quietens the mind, so when we sit to meditate, and find ourselves caught up in constant thought, it leads to frustration.

However you do not meditate by quietening your mind. You meditate by placing your focus elsewhere, typically on your breath. The quiet mind is a side effect of practice, but not a measure of "how well" you're meditating. When you start meditating, particularly if you have quite the busy mind, you'll find that you constantly turn to thought, and have to make a continued persistent effort to keep bringing your attention to your breath. Your attention might only remain on your breath for a couple of seconds before the process starts over, thoughts appear, and you have to divert your attention back to your breathing yet again.

You may find yourself doing this over and over, and it does feel frustrating, and it does feel like "Maybe I'm doing something wrong", but as long as you are returning your attention to your breath, you are meditating correctly. Do not worry about whether your mind is loud, quiet, or somewhere in the middle. Just remember your goal, to be aware of your breath and continually return your attention there any time you find your attention wandering elsewhere. Do this, and you're meditating correctly!

The harder or more frustrating it feels, the more you have to benefit from meditation, since difficulty in keeping focused during meditation is usually the result of a very busy mind - one of the things meditation helps us resolve.

 

I agree. Written how it is. As a Master I follow often says, meditation is necessary to put the reins on the monkey mind. Taming the monkey mind doesn't happen easily. But there are many methods to tame it.

Many people meditate for benefits. They want tot gain something.

I've begun to see that in order to truly benefit, one needs to let go of greed for benefits.

 

9 times out of 10 I relapse because of the monkey. Monkey needs a leash put on him! Morning and night that monkey is getting tamed. Some people's monkey's are wild.

 

Practicing off and on for years would certainly be less fruitful than practicing daily for years.

Even with daily practice it is going to take a long time to change, the change is a gradual process. But surely I would be lost without daily practice.

 

I have a question for you WuTang. How did you learn to meditate?

 

Just curious. Many people people turn to books, videos, apps and the like. Was wondering if you go to a meditation center of some kind and learned in person?

I have a feeling finding a local community of some kind that offers education on how to practice can be supremely beneficial.

It's quite hard to face the ego without someone to guide you, if that is why one meditates. To reap more than just benefits.

Well either way meditation is a wonderful practice!

 

Thanks a lot! I didn't give up and today I did so much better, even in a less silent space. It feels great, reconforting, just the sort of feel I was looking for with MO. Thanks to you all, there's such nice people over here :3

 

I totally agree but I do find I get much more enhanced benefits with sitting upright. Lately I have been in the dreaded flatline and feel blah, so I may lay down. Just taking it a day at a time for now. Keep up your posts and Thank You!

 

Thanks for the kindness. I hear you on all that. Trying to stay very mindful, realizing it is just part of the process and the treasure is on the other side!