3 Amazing Tips for Meditation When You Can't Shut Off Your Mind

How to work with your mind and not against it.

A quiet corner. Lotus posture. Hands folded in lap. And a dip of ecstasy. Simple, isn't it?

But it becomes a long distant dream when you try. With your eyes closed, you notice nonsense of the mind every minute.

As the clock ticks by, you frantically search for stillness books and discourses talk. You want to open your eyes and run away in shame and resentment.

Nevertheless, you decide to sit for five more minutes. Hoping silence will come. But never-ending thoughts chase you here as well.

Yet another failed attempt!

You did everything by the book. Despite that, calmness evaded. Frustration seeps.

And next day, no show.

Dreams of mental peace shatter. The train of thought sucks your tranquility. Meditation becomes evil even before you try it fully.

Re-Train Your Mind to Break Its Pattern of Running Constantly

Meditation is not a magic pill that will calm you instantly. Instead, in the beginning, the flood of thought makes you insane. Sometimes it disturbs you more than you were before you sat for meditation.

Why?

Humans exhaust most of their energy on thinking. Over 6000 thoughts plague the human mind each day. Running late for the office, home, meetings, etc., takes a toll. You strive to live and enjoy better than yesterday.

But the race keeps relaying in your mind, even when it is not needed. This nonstop chase becomes more visible when you meditate.

Did I shut off the gas? Have 5 minutes passed yet? How much time will I take to complete my following assignments? Am I wasting my time meditating?

The mind wants quick actions and results. And sitting silently, doing nothing, bores the mind to death.

The mind needs activity. It can be physical or mental. When you shift your focus from the outside world to yourself, thoughts explode.

The more you try to tame the monkey of the mind, the more helpless you feel. Resisting the essential nature of the mind will frustrate you more. Instead, learn to work with your mind.

In meditation, you realize the habit of the mind — the continuous churning of thoughts. To break free from this lifelong training, efforts and persistence are needed.

To break its pattern, sit in meditation at the same time in the same place.

It will re-train the mind towards silence. Repeating the time and place helps you to develop a knack for slipping into silence.

Purge Excess Energy From Your Mind 'Before' You Sit Still

The deal breaker is excessive thoughts. And the deal mender is losing those continuous streams of thinking.

The meditation technique helps you to get rid of your thoughts.

An insider tip: Meditation technique is not meditation. Mediation occurs in the silence that happens after the technique.

The technique helps you to still your mind so that you easily slip into the meditative modes. The most helpful method to get rid of your thoughts is gibberish.

• Sit in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed.
• Set the alarm after 15 minutes.
• Close your eyes.
• And talk nonsense in another language (that which you don't know).
• It can be just making sounds or words that make little sense.
• Talk loudly and nonstop, as if you are communicating with someone sitting there.
• Do this until the alarm goes off.
• Now, sit silently with no movement of the body.

This gibberish technique takes away all the excess thoughts roaming in your head.

When you do it with totality, your mind pukes out all the nonsense that is not essential. A burden seems to lift off. Silent sitting becomes possible.

With repeated practice, cleansing happens. I do it every night before going to bed to cleanse my mind. It helps me to get a deep sleep.

You can also do it whenever you feel burdened or frustrated. It provides an outlet for your feelings.

Like bathing the body, the mind also needs frequent cleansing. Gibberish works like a magic pill that keeps the mind free from toxic waste.

Use the Ever-Present Tool as an Anchor 'During' Meditation

Initially, it is impossible to purge your thoughts entirely in 15 minutes. Like a crawling snake, they will arise again.

You will again become lost in the ocean of thoughts. But once you become aware, don't beat yourself. Be kind. Understand that it is normal and happens even to an experienced meditator.

1. Focus on the incoming and outgoing breath.

Instead of becoming uneasy and labeling meditation futile, turn to your breath.

Do not change your breathing pattern. Just observe it. Mere observation will help you get back to the present moment.

2. Deep breathing

Sometimes the thoughts may smash you into every corner of the room. Then do deep breathing at least ten times.

Inhale deeply through the nose. Exhale slowly through the mouth. It will relax you instantly.

Breath is the ever-present tool that can ground you anytime. You can use it in tense boardroom meetings or personal life. It will never fail you.

3. So-Hum Mantra meditation

Ancient sages attached the powerful So-Hum mantra meditation with breath. The literal meaning of So-Hum is 'I am that.'

Do So-Hum meditation during meditation when you are trapped in a web of thoughts.

With the incoming breath, mentally recite the 'So.' With an outgoing breath, mentally recite, 'Hum.'

By repeating it, you form a connection to all that is. Interconnection with the universe happens. It centers your mind, and you become calm and peaceful.

Leave the mantra after a few minutes and sit silently.

You can do this technique whenever thoughts invade you during meditation. Also, you can do it many times at any point with your eyes wide open. It is a relaxing and powerful technique that soothes the mind and connects you to the infinite.

Use your breath, an ever-present tool, to anchor you to the present moment.

Final Thoughts

A continuous trail of thoughts overwhelms during meditation. Don’t fear emotional vomiting. The repressed feelings will erupt. Let them come and go.

Allow yourself some time to adjust to the new routine of silent sitting. Be dedicated and persistent. Only then can you experience the magical stillness.

Don't run away even before exploring meditation. Use gibberish and breath techniques to ground yourself. Go past your fears and apprehensions to enjoy the stillness of life.

Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak. — Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

© Copyright Ruchi Thalwal, 2022

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