Distractions
Table of Contents
Little by little, you’re likely becoming more comfortable with repeating your mantra.
During this process, you will have no doubt become aware of the busy nature of our minds.
The difficulty concentrating the constant distractions, urges and instincts.
Thoughts
What should I do about all the thoughts inside my head?
The aim of meditation is not to ‘turn off’ your thoughts. If we try to turn them off then meditation becomes a battle. We can often end up frustrated and fostering feelings of failure when we inevitably succumb to the frequency, emotional nature and raw power of our normal thought patterns.
Mantra meditation works so well because instead of fighting against the tide, meditation aims to float on top of it.
This allows the mental swells to wash underneath and letting our minds be buoyant, staying calm and steady. We do this by accepting our thoughts and, rather than resisting them, we change the way we respond to them.
Bring your focus back to your mantra
Returning to the mantra is harder than it sounds. It takes real perseverance, but it is this mental activity that helps us stay afloat instead of being tied to a pattern of reaction. This mental perseverance is really the core of meditation.
It is this skill which helps us grow into the person we would like to be. It does this by training our minds to make a decision towards neutrality and calm rather than reacting in the automatic ways that have led to mindset’s we’d like to change.
What if you suffer from cramp or body twitching?
You should never cause yourself any pain while practicing. If you have to stand up and walk or change positions then this is completely fine. Just come back to the practice afterwards.
However, it’s always worth asking yourself if the need to get up is just your monkey mind playing games with you to hinder your meditation. After all, we can often easily sit on the sofa for a few hours watching TV without the need to get up!
This is the heart of the practice of mantra meditation. It’s hard, you’re flexing a muscle that is new, but that muscle will build and build until it works in your favour throughout your life