Successful Meditation for the Chaotic Mind
Written by Natalie Tuggle
Have you ever tried to meditate only to find your mind thinking about a wild assortment of the most random things, taking you to your most embarrassing moments, or to a growingly urgent to-do list? These are normal problems that a little reframe of what mediation actually is might help.
A common misconception of meditation is that you must empty your mind. While certain philosophies and religions may claim this to be the goal of meditation, you can not clear your mind by simply clearing your mind. This would be like saying you are going to clear the dirt off the floor by wishing the dirt away. Really, you need to go get the broom.
So what would the mind’s broom be to help you get that desired “Cleared Mind”? I have good news for you, especially if you have ADHD. The “broom” for clearing your mind in meditation is hyper focus.
The Sanskrit word used in yoga is Drishti, a pinpoint focus. Pick one thing to focus on, and then give it your all. The result will be all other busy thoughts (called vritti) fading to the background as your mind homes in on the point of focus.
There is a large world of meditation techniques available to you, and they will all involve some level of Drishti or pinpoint focus.
Below are some tips to help get you started on a successful meditation journey.
Tip One: Set a Timer
In honing our focus, we want to minimize as many distractions as possible. Setting a timer will keep you from looking at the clock in worry of how much time you have spent, a common distractor in meditation.
Tip Two: Give Yourself The Win
Feel-good chemicals are much more useful in building habits than the not-so-feel-goods of shame and defeat. So set yourself up to win and choose a very short meditation for your first few tries. Even if you find your ability to focus not great or you have to stop earlier than you wanted, still give yourself the win! You made an attempt, which is 100% better than no attempt.
Tip Three: Pick a Low Distraction Location
In league with step one in minimizing distractions, choose a location that does not feel like it is begging for your attention. Maybe you clean an area in your room for a meditation corner or maybe you go to a quiet spot outside. Low clutter and low noise are the goals of this tip.
Over time, you will need to worry less about outer noise as your ability for inner focus grows. But for starters, find the most distraction-free space available.
Tip Four: Keep at It!
The beautiful thing about developing a new practice is that it is a practice. You can have an off day, an off week, an off month, but you still come back and practice again. Also, feel free to try different styles of meditation and times of day. As you keep at it, eventually you will unlock your meditation rhythm.
The Starter List Types of Meditation:
Movement meditation: Nature Walk, Tai Chi
Mantra Meditation: Positive Short Phrase or Word Repeated,
“Seed Sounds” (such as Om)
Repeated
Art Meditation: Adult Coloring Books, Mandalas
Guided Meditations: Topical Meditations, Sound Meditations (such as singing bowls)
Remember, it will take practice and some experimenting to find a good starter meditation. Keep coming back to your practice once you have found one you like, and over time, you will start to reap the benefits.
