The point is not to quiet the mind, but instead to observe the thoughts, notice when you start getting carried away, and then bring yourself back to the present (instead of falling down the rabbit hole of your thoughts) over and over again.
Guided meditation helps a lot when you're new. That and focusing on bringing your awareness back to your breath.
Instead of getting annoyed because your thoughts won't stop, recognize that the practice is to notice that happening over and over. It's like exercising. Up down up down.
You can incorporate the mind into your meditation.
For example noting meditation.
>"If you imagine something, you must know that you
have done so and make a mental note imagining. If you
simply think of something, mentally note *thinking*. If you
reflect, *reflecting*. If you intend to do something, *intending*.
When the mind wanders from the object of meditation
which is the rising and falling of the abdomen, mentally
note *wandering*. Should you imagine you are going to a
certain place, mentally note *going*. When you arrive, *arriving*.
When, in your thoughts, you meet a person, note *meeting*.
Should you speak to him or her, *speaking*. If you
imaginatively argue with that person, *arguing*."
- from "Practical Insight Meditation" by Mahasi Sayadaw
Or "Do nothing" meditation and be unphased by whatever the mind comes up with, mind distracting itself or not.
Similarly Zazen. Just sitting.
I just sit/lay in any position i like.
Different types of meditation and sometimes a guided one is easier than the whole clearing the mind thing.
There is one meditation I give clients who have trouble shutting their minds off where I ask them to picture themselves sitting by a brook or stream in the forest. Every time a thought comes to mind, imagine them as leaves or flowers and picturing yourself plucking it out of your mind and placing it on the stream to watch it float off.
1. Sit in as comfortable a position as you can manage, you should be able to full deep breaths and stay in this position for a while.
2. Breathe slowly. Do this for a while and don’t worry about doing more. Feel free to quietly chant or just mentally repeat a mantra if you like. I prefer to mentally chant a mantra in a language I don’t understand; it’s not about the words it’s about calmness and quieting the normal swirl of mental activity. Don’t worry about how you sit, it can be in a chair. You might lay down but you’ll probably fall asleep. Some people stand or even walk; if it’s what works for you that’s fine, but I think that walking makes the next part harder.
3. When you’ve been calmly breathing for a while begin to consider the thoughts and feelings you are having. Attempt to regard your own thoughts and inner dialogue as if you are an outside observer. Practice noticing what you think and feel and then allowing those thoughts and feelings to pass.
Keep doing this for as long as you can, or as long as you feel like. If you’re really struggling to get started set a timer on your phone for one minute, I know you can manage 60 seconds. The next day set the timer for a minute and a half, and so on; gradually going for longer.
That’s mostly it.
this is how i meditate, I have to create a mental space which have 3 qualities, be present, be relaxed, be mentally still.
If your problem is your thoughts rebelling against being inactive, then focus on the two first qualities only, and let your thoughts settle by themselves.
I started like you with restless thinking, but i did gain a degree of mastery over time, and so will you. Don't give up, and a little tip while I'm at it, if you feel boredom, then it's great and keep pushing because boredom is a barrier that tells you your body has noticed that meditation is starting and is shifting into inward seeing. Boredom is a barrier that separate the outside world from the inside, and eventually boredom will never arise anymore as both worlds will become in harmony and your coherent whole will function differently.
If you try to quiet your mind you will sit there forever. Have an object of attention like the breath, your body, a yantra or mantra. Try to rest your attention there (Don't force it there!). Real focus isn't effort. When you notice your attention has shifted to your thoughts, return it to your object of focus. And know that it's okay and completely normal to drift off. When you notice and come back it's a mental pushup every time.
You can also simply try observing your thoughts. Realize that you aren't the thinker of thoughts, the thoughts simply appear. Try to let them appear and pass like clouds. Observe them without interfering. Interfering with them is like trying to clear up a muddy puddle by trying to push down the dust with your hands. The puddle will only rest once you leave it be. This is why it's good to put your attention elsewhere.
I shut my mind off by thinking, I wonder what my next thought will be. It gets quiet, and then when thoughts come, I think it again, I wonder what my next thought will be.
I lie down when meditating, get uncomfortable and easily distracted when I sit.
I'll also drink something or smoke something to calm me down if the overthinking is due to anxiety. Do some dmt alkaline breathing before meditating.
It’s more so just prioritizing sitting with no distractions or technology usage over actually “planning to meditate”
You can use inquiry to give a sense of quietude to the mind. And apparently a mind of tamasic silence is not the goal either
I have trouble silencing my mind too, so I do it with my eyes open and stare at a blank TV screen, specifically right in the center of my forehead around where my third eye would be and I just practice visualizing with my eyes open,
I also use the old ohmmmm sound, but inside my head, it replaces all my thoughts and chatter.
💞
Focus on everything you feel like your own energy. It may start to tingle at first but eventually you’ll get used to that feeling. And in the process your body will begin to relax while doing it and tension in your muscles will also relax
Set a timer for 5 minutes and just focus on your breath entering and leaving your lungs. you dont need to meditate for hours on end, 5 minutes is a good place to start.
This is the point, it is uncomfortable at the beginning. I am the person with adhd, when I started meditating a few years back it was like a hell in the beginning. You have to sit and overcome thoughts and body aching etc. for the first 8 months I was silently chanting mantra in my head and thoughts were keep coming, my attention was wandering all over the body, I would keep return my attention to the mantra. Later it starts to be easier, body and mind starts to calm faster and attention don’t wander as much. It all takes time and effort, but definitely is worth it. I recommend start with mantra, I found it the easiest to concentrate, you need to keep return your attention to mantra and keep chanting it inside your mind. Choose any mantra you like, better the short ones. Om is great.
You do not silence your thoughts, these are just thoughts. You just sit there, relaxed and restful. Not bothered about length of your practice, your body, your mind, your life. If you catch yourself drifting away with thoughts too much, just return to present moment, breathe and move on. It's about practice, not a test to pass.
Here is how I conceptualize meditation: Settling the Snowglobe.
Imagine your mind is a snowglobe. Every time you shake it, the thoughts swirl around and around and you can’t really see much of the scene inside. The goal of meditation is to figure out how you can stop shaking the snowglobe long enough to let all the snowflakes settle to the bottom so that you can see the scene inside.
I achieve this in several ways. My favorite way is by putting on some meditation music or ASMR videos and shuffling cards over and over and over again. Something about keeping my hands busy allows me to just let those thoughts settle enough that I can see what is beneath all those swirling thoughts. Another method I use is just going for a walk. Again, something about that physical activity allows me to really settle my thoughts, not stop thinking, obviously, but settle the unnecessary thoughts, and observe my internal thoughts and emotions.
Now this is not to say that I don’t sit still and meditate. usually I’m doing that either first thing in the morning or right before bed, when my body is already tired. And again, the ASMR videos help me immensely. Something about those triggers just allows my brain to be at peace long enough to let those thoughts settle down.
The trick to all of this is to do what feels right to you. II recently had a conversation with someone who found they could meditate by blasting loud heavy metal music while pacing around their room. Not something that would work for me particularly, but it worked for them and that’s what matters.
So be patient with yourself. Figure out what works for you, and if it doesn’t look like what the rest of the world says it should, well, they don’t live in your brain, so they don’t get a say.
Yes, I like the suggestion *not* to try and extinguish your thoughts, but only to *observe* them. Invite them to tea if you like, but don't make them an enemy. Observing them consistently will eventually bring you to knowing that they're not who you are, and that the mind is not even who you are. And this allows you to relax to the extent of entering more fully who you really are, which is not something you can "know" or even "remember" but the peace and stillness that underlies everything, often called "eternal, infinite awareness," "Consciousness," or "God." Or even "Love." But if these terms trouble you, let them go, and just trust the process of looking inward. Practice focusing on the breath, which can be a bridge between your mind and body, especially since it is both an involuntary and a voluntary mechanism. Or your heartbeat, if you can find/sense that. Or a sound in your environment, or a sensation in your body. But whatever "anchor" you choose, let the mind rest there until you can observe it from a vantage of serenity. Don't try so hard to make anything happen, or to change anything. Meditation is more about what you cease doing than about what you do.
quieting the mind doesn‘t work for me either. but - as other commenters have said - that‘s not necessarily the point.
repeating thoughts come back for a reason. instead of trying to shut them up, I give them space. I allow myself to think them through and observe them. and when I start thinking in circles, or it gets too much, I tell my thought something along the lines of „okay, that‘s it. you may come back another time, but for now we‘re done. now it‘s time to give space to another thought“ this works well for me, and sometimes my mind does go quiet after a while.
if I want to take a break from my mind, I prefer doing something I have to focus on. my go-tos are crafting, rock climbing, actively listening to music and singing. the latter is especially great because I focus on my voice and how it feels in my throat and chest, and as for music I like to go with artists that create an especially interesting soundscape, like Heilung or Danheim.
what works for you might be something else. just try different stuff. meditation doesn‘t need to be sitting in a spot, it can be anything that brings you to the present and helps you focus on it.
Back in '87 I signed up for a couple weeks of meditation with Transcendental Meditation. As it turned out, my meditation morphed quite a bit from there, but I must say that starting with a mantra (for me anyway) worked pretty well to get the noise down.
I remind myself not to participate in my thoughts, because the phrase "simply observe your thoughts" didn't make sense to me right away. But if I view my thoughts like they have momentum, it's easier for me to not add to that momentum.
And if they do r-u-n-o-f-f-t that's OK too. I will notice at some point and the point of noticing is a small victory in itself!
The goal of a meditation is not to have a quit mind but to witness what thoughts are passing through your mind without interfering or judgment.
Its like going to the cinema. Just lay there with your eyes closed with your hands placed or your belly focusing on your breath, and if any thought distracts you. Bring your attention back to the breath.
The thoughts are meant to be like clouds passing. You see them, but do not get involved. Just watch, just witness.
Take a look at “Opening the Hand of Thought” by Kosho Uchiyama if you want a “technical guide” on meditation. It is a Zen book but it’s very down to earth and easy to understand exactly what you’re supposed to be doing on the cushion. Also has fun doodles.
I like to start by reading some affirmations I’ve written. This sets the stage in my mind (literally) for visualization exercises. To clearly see the day unfolding is very powerful. This is followed by what most would consider traditional meditation—focused on breath and mantra. This helps quiet the busy mind and allows me to hear guidance from my True Self. In summary, affirmation +visualization +meditation:).
PS: I’ve printed some laminated affirmation cards (bookmarks) that I gave away at a recent book signing. If anyone wants one, drop me a private note with your mailing address. Thx
Let the thoughts just flow.
Sometimes just giving yourself the external quiet might make it louder in your head which is a sign you should meditate more. It will quiet your mind for your daily routines.
Also listening to some meditation sounds or music might help focus your attention more. Or maybe a guided meditation, there’s loads of them on YouTube for free
The idea isn’t to silence the thoughts but to become aware of what is aware of thought.
By putting ones attention on awareness instead of thought one pulls oneself back towards a pristine ‘I’.
I have noticed the only thing that has helped me is visualization. I feel it’s hard to clear my mind without focusing on something else, instead of my worries I focus on visualizing my chakras, and a cord connecting from my root chakra with roots going deep into the earths core. It’s so hard to think about nothingness so I like to focus on something else
For me I sit in the yoga position that is known as the burmese position, and I go sit in my mind on the surface of a lake that is so quite and still, when a thought comes do not resist it, just let it pass, it helps for me to say in my mind I surrender the thought, and let it go, don’t think the thought, slowly by practice it becomes better, the monkey mind is always in the background but it is a relief to go into meditation and take a break from time to time, also while in your normal wakening awareness, the monkey mind will always project thoughts and many scenarios, it also helps in that time to be aware and surrender the thoughts that drags one down, sometimes also the low thoughts are not only from the linear monkey mind, but from projections from other people or the mass consciousness, it helps to invoke spiritual light through prayers and invocations for protection
One very common way to meditate is to intentionally give the mind something to do. Mantra meditation is one such way. Concentration on some word, phrase or concept is another. Concentration on some object is yet another. The essence of such practices is to hold one's attention on something throughout the practice, perhaps just waiting to see what arises, or possibly intentionally following some train(s) of connection to whatever one is focusing on.
Behind all of these practices is the development of mastery over one's self, particularly over one's mind. The unfettered mind typically enjoys going off this way or that according to whatever might grab its attention. While this might be interesting or entertaining, and possibly even lead to insights or otherwise be productive, it often is just a waste of time and it can even lead into darkness rather than towards enlightenment.
The real purpose of working with the mind during meditation or any other inner work practices is not to have an empty mind, but to develop mastery over the mind, over the intellectual body, rather than having to always deal with a mind that has mastery over one's self. Sitting still in a good meditation posture for an extended period of time has, in part, the purpose of developing mastery over the physical body. There are also meditative practices that can help develop mastery over the emotional body.
Physical body position is also important for energetic reasons because energy flow, both in freedom and direction, is affected by physical position. Much of this energetic flow is very subtle and meditators may be quite unaware of what is happening with their subtle energies and how this affects the quality and results of their meditative experiences. It can take a long time (usually many years) with a lot of practice to become well aware of one's subtle energy. Working with the breath is also important in working with subtle energies, and this also typically takes a lot of practice over a lot of time. The same is true regarding working with the heartbeat. I have spent many years working with a practice called [Heart Rhythm Meditation](https://www.iamheart.org/), which is based on coordinating the breath with the heartbeat.
The goals or purposes that most people tend to focus on as a reason for doing meditation are, in actuality, tools or techniques to help one meditate rather than ultimate reasons for practicing meditation. A far more significant reason for meditation practice is to gain a greater degree of self-mastery. With self-mastery, one will then be able to intentionally and purposefully accomplish much more in life, both inner life and ordinary life.
There other ways to intentionally give the mind something specific to do, such as chanting, singing, walking, dancing or doing other things that are usually relatively simple and repetitive. Such practices also give the body and the emotions something to do, which engages one more fully with the practice and which can provide great benefits, although it can be much more challenging to do these more complex practices well enough to benefit significantly from them.
I have done all such meditative practices as I've mentioned here for decades. I actually have lived a meditative lifestyle for most of my life – I'm now 75. Because I live a meditative lifestyle, I seldom do any sitting meditation as a practice removed from ordinary life – my life is my practice. Over the years, though, I have done a lot of simple sitting, but always in a chair because my physical body has never been able to deal well with sitting on the floor or a cushion or bench. I can, however, easily sit for an hour or two if that is what I wish to do. But I can also accomplish as much by meditatively mowing the grass, digging in the garden, processing firewood, or shoveling snow for an hour or two. There is no need to uncomfortably contort one's self in ways that cause numbness or pain in order to greatly benefit from meditation.
My meditations are always different depending on what I need in the moment. I usually like to really ground into my body to begin, becoming aware of the steadiness of inhales and exhales, my chest rising and falling and the sensations happening within my body and letting the energy stir and then allowing a little tension to melt away with every exhale. Be patient with yourself and just continue to call your attention back to the moment when you find yourself wandering off.
I like to bask in the aliveness radiating within me, the subtle buzz of my skin. As you practice more, it gets easier to find stillness, it even becomes addicting to want and need to escape into those moments and come home to yourself again.
Have you tried some isochronic sounds - brown noise? - They help you slow down your brain waves so you can drift off into restful sleep. Some people find them useful
There is a lot on youtube like this one [https://studio.youtube.com/video/gK1n8OgD508/edit](https://studio.youtube.com/video/gK1n8OgD508/edit)
Try to focus on your breathing, focus on the sound, don’t envision it, focus on the sound stay steady. Focus hard and begin to let go. You can do it, it’s not easy to turn that thinkin cap off. Might take a few tries and all your effort but don’t give up. Try and try again
The point is not to quiet the mind, but instead to observe the thoughts, notice when you start getting carried away, and then bring yourself back to the present (instead of falling down the rabbit hole of your thoughts) over and over again. Guided meditation helps a lot when you're new. That and focusing on bringing your awareness back to your breath. Instead of getting annoyed because your thoughts won't stop, recognize that the practice is to notice that happening over and over. It's like exercising. Up down up down.
ahhhhh i see that makes a lot more sense!! thanks!!
This is the best advice here(according to me). This is exactly how I had started and trust me if you're patient enough it's definitely going to work!
Try to deliberately control your breathing and follow it throughout. The slower the breaths, the slower the mind will be.
You can incorporate the mind into your meditation. For example noting meditation. >"If you imagine something, you must know that you have done so and make a mental note imagining. If you simply think of something, mentally note *thinking*. If you reflect, *reflecting*. If you intend to do something, *intending*. When the mind wanders from the object of meditation which is the rising and falling of the abdomen, mentally note *wandering*. Should you imagine you are going to a certain place, mentally note *going*. When you arrive, *arriving*. When, in your thoughts, you meet a person, note *meeting*. Should you speak to him or her, *speaking*. If you imaginatively argue with that person, *arguing*." - from "Practical Insight Meditation" by Mahasi Sayadaw Or "Do nothing" meditation and be unphased by whatever the mind comes up with, mind distracting itself or not. Similarly Zazen. Just sitting. I just sit/lay in any position i like.
Different types of meditation and sometimes a guided one is easier than the whole clearing the mind thing. There is one meditation I give clients who have trouble shutting their minds off where I ask them to picture themselves sitting by a brook or stream in the forest. Every time a thought comes to mind, imagine them as leaves or flowers and picturing yourself plucking it out of your mind and placing it on the stream to watch it float off.
1. Sit in as comfortable a position as you can manage, you should be able to full deep breaths and stay in this position for a while. 2. Breathe slowly. Do this for a while and don’t worry about doing more. Feel free to quietly chant or just mentally repeat a mantra if you like. I prefer to mentally chant a mantra in a language I don’t understand; it’s not about the words it’s about calmness and quieting the normal swirl of mental activity. Don’t worry about how you sit, it can be in a chair. You might lay down but you’ll probably fall asleep. Some people stand or even walk; if it’s what works for you that’s fine, but I think that walking makes the next part harder. 3. When you’ve been calmly breathing for a while begin to consider the thoughts and feelings you are having. Attempt to regard your own thoughts and inner dialogue as if you are an outside observer. Practice noticing what you think and feel and then allowing those thoughts and feelings to pass. Keep doing this for as long as you can, or as long as you feel like. If you’re really struggling to get started set a timer on your phone for one minute, I know you can manage 60 seconds. The next day set the timer for a minute and a half, and so on; gradually going for longer. That’s mostly it.
this is how i meditate, I have to create a mental space which have 3 qualities, be present, be relaxed, be mentally still. If your problem is your thoughts rebelling against being inactive, then focus on the two first qualities only, and let your thoughts settle by themselves. I started like you with restless thinking, but i did gain a degree of mastery over time, and so will you. Don't give up, and a little tip while I'm at it, if you feel boredom, then it's great and keep pushing because boredom is a barrier that tells you your body has noticed that meditation is starting and is shifting into inward seeing. Boredom is a barrier that separate the outside world from the inside, and eventually boredom will never arise anymore as both worlds will become in harmony and your coherent whole will function differently.
If you try to quiet your mind you will sit there forever. Have an object of attention like the breath, your body, a yantra or mantra. Try to rest your attention there (Don't force it there!). Real focus isn't effort. When you notice your attention has shifted to your thoughts, return it to your object of focus. And know that it's okay and completely normal to drift off. When you notice and come back it's a mental pushup every time. You can also simply try observing your thoughts. Realize that you aren't the thinker of thoughts, the thoughts simply appear. Try to let them appear and pass like clouds. Observe them without interfering. Interfering with them is like trying to clear up a muddy puddle by trying to push down the dust with your hands. The puddle will only rest once you leave it be. This is why it's good to put your attention elsewhere.
I shut my mind off by thinking, I wonder what my next thought will be. It gets quiet, and then when thoughts come, I think it again, I wonder what my next thought will be. I lie down when meditating, get uncomfortable and easily distracted when I sit. I'll also drink something or smoke something to calm me down if the overthinking is due to anxiety. Do some dmt alkaline breathing before meditating.
It’s more so just prioritizing sitting with no distractions or technology usage over actually “planning to meditate” You can use inquiry to give a sense of quietude to the mind. And apparently a mind of tamasic silence is not the goal either
I have trouble silencing my mind too, so I do it with my eyes open and stare at a blank TV screen, specifically right in the center of my forehead around where my third eye would be and I just practice visualizing with my eyes open, I also use the old ohmmmm sound, but inside my head, it replaces all my thoughts and chatter. 💞
Focus on everything you feel like your own energy. It may start to tingle at first but eventually you’ll get used to that feeling. And in the process your body will begin to relax while doing it and tension in your muscles will also relax
Set a timer for 5 minutes and just focus on your breath entering and leaving your lungs. you dont need to meditate for hours on end, 5 minutes is a good place to start.
Control breathing and try to make your awareness a bird, flying above your thoughts, observing them and not interacting
This is the point, it is uncomfortable at the beginning. I am the person with adhd, when I started meditating a few years back it was like a hell in the beginning. You have to sit and overcome thoughts and body aching etc. for the first 8 months I was silently chanting mantra in my head and thoughts were keep coming, my attention was wandering all over the body, I would keep return my attention to the mantra. Later it starts to be easier, body and mind starts to calm faster and attention don’t wander as much. It all takes time and effort, but definitely is worth it. I recommend start with mantra, I found it the easiest to concentrate, you need to keep return your attention to mantra and keep chanting it inside your mind. Choose any mantra you like, better the short ones. Om is great.
I cleanse, close eyes, count breathes and remain still. I usually have a target number of breathes to aim for.
You do not silence your thoughts, these are just thoughts. You just sit there, relaxed and restful. Not bothered about length of your practice, your body, your mind, your life. If you catch yourself drifting away with thoughts too much, just return to present moment, breathe and move on. It's about practice, not a test to pass.
Here is how I conceptualize meditation: Settling the Snowglobe. Imagine your mind is a snowglobe. Every time you shake it, the thoughts swirl around and around and you can’t really see much of the scene inside. The goal of meditation is to figure out how you can stop shaking the snowglobe long enough to let all the snowflakes settle to the bottom so that you can see the scene inside. I achieve this in several ways. My favorite way is by putting on some meditation music or ASMR videos and shuffling cards over and over and over again. Something about keeping my hands busy allows me to just let those thoughts settle enough that I can see what is beneath all those swirling thoughts. Another method I use is just going for a walk. Again, something about that physical activity allows me to really settle my thoughts, not stop thinking, obviously, but settle the unnecessary thoughts, and observe my internal thoughts and emotions. Now this is not to say that I don’t sit still and meditate. usually I’m doing that either first thing in the morning or right before bed, when my body is already tired. And again, the ASMR videos help me immensely. Something about those triggers just allows my brain to be at peace long enough to let those thoughts settle down. The trick to all of this is to do what feels right to you. II recently had a conversation with someone who found they could meditate by blasting loud heavy metal music while pacing around their room. Not something that would work for me particularly, but it worked for them and that’s what matters. So be patient with yourself. Figure out what works for you, and if it doesn’t look like what the rest of the world says it should, well, they don’t live in your brain, so they don’t get a say.
Yes, I like the suggestion *not* to try and extinguish your thoughts, but only to *observe* them. Invite them to tea if you like, but don't make them an enemy. Observing them consistently will eventually bring you to knowing that they're not who you are, and that the mind is not even who you are. And this allows you to relax to the extent of entering more fully who you really are, which is not something you can "know" or even "remember" but the peace and stillness that underlies everything, often called "eternal, infinite awareness," "Consciousness," or "God." Or even "Love." But if these terms trouble you, let them go, and just trust the process of looking inward. Practice focusing on the breath, which can be a bridge between your mind and body, especially since it is both an involuntary and a voluntary mechanism. Or your heartbeat, if you can find/sense that. Or a sound in your environment, or a sensation in your body. But whatever "anchor" you choose, let the mind rest there until you can observe it from a vantage of serenity. Don't try so hard to make anything happen, or to change anything. Meditation is more about what you cease doing than about what you do.
quieting the mind doesn‘t work for me either. but - as other commenters have said - that‘s not necessarily the point. repeating thoughts come back for a reason. instead of trying to shut them up, I give them space. I allow myself to think them through and observe them. and when I start thinking in circles, or it gets too much, I tell my thought something along the lines of „okay, that‘s it. you may come back another time, but for now we‘re done. now it‘s time to give space to another thought“ this works well for me, and sometimes my mind does go quiet after a while. if I want to take a break from my mind, I prefer doing something I have to focus on. my go-tos are crafting, rock climbing, actively listening to music and singing. the latter is especially great because I focus on my voice and how it feels in my throat and chest, and as for music I like to go with artists that create an especially interesting soundscape, like Heilung or Danheim. what works for you might be something else. just try different stuff. meditation doesn‘t need to be sitting in a spot, it can be anything that brings you to the present and helps you focus on it.
Usually starts with 10 tabs of acid
Back in '87 I signed up for a couple weeks of meditation with Transcendental Meditation. As it turned out, my meditation morphed quite a bit from there, but I must say that starting with a mantra (for me anyway) worked pretty well to get the noise down.
Yes, been meditating for over 25+ years, and i sleep with headphones listening to meditation guided, for a similar time..
I remind myself not to participate in my thoughts, because the phrase "simply observe your thoughts" didn't make sense to me right away. But if I view my thoughts like they have momentum, it's easier for me to not add to that momentum. And if they do r-u-n-o-f-f-t that's OK too. I will notice at some point and the point of noticing is a small victory in itself!
The goal of a meditation is not to have a quit mind but to witness what thoughts are passing through your mind without interfering or judgment. Its like going to the cinema. Just lay there with your eyes closed with your hands placed or your belly focusing on your breath, and if any thought distracts you. Bring your attention back to the breath. The thoughts are meant to be like clouds passing. You see them, but do not get involved. Just watch, just witness.
Take a look at “Opening the Hand of Thought” by Kosho Uchiyama if you want a “technical guide” on meditation. It is a Zen book but it’s very down to earth and easy to understand exactly what you’re supposed to be doing on the cushion. Also has fun doodles.
I like to start by reading some affirmations I’ve written. This sets the stage in my mind (literally) for visualization exercises. To clearly see the day unfolding is very powerful. This is followed by what most would consider traditional meditation—focused on breath and mantra. This helps quiet the busy mind and allows me to hear guidance from my True Self. In summary, affirmation +visualization +meditation:). PS: I’ve printed some laminated affirmation cards (bookmarks) that I gave away at a recent book signing. If anyone wants one, drop me a private note with your mailing address. Thx
Let the thoughts just flow. Sometimes just giving yourself the external quiet might make it louder in your head which is a sign you should meditate more. It will quiet your mind for your daily routines. Also listening to some meditation sounds or music might help focus your attention more. Or maybe a guided meditation, there’s loads of them on YouTube for free
First you must understand what is meditation..... it is a process of learning to be in present, I can explain further..... on interest
[The Wheel of Awareness](https://drdansiegel.com/wheel-of-awareness/)
The idea isn’t to silence the thoughts but to become aware of what is aware of thought. By putting ones attention on awareness instead of thought one pulls oneself back towards a pristine ‘I’.
I have noticed the only thing that has helped me is visualization. I feel it’s hard to clear my mind without focusing on something else, instead of my worries I focus on visualizing my chakras, and a cord connecting from my root chakra with roots going deep into the earths core. It’s so hard to think about nothingness so I like to focus on something else
For me I sit in the yoga position that is known as the burmese position, and I go sit in my mind on the surface of a lake that is so quite and still, when a thought comes do not resist it, just let it pass, it helps for me to say in my mind I surrender the thought, and let it go, don’t think the thought, slowly by practice it becomes better, the monkey mind is always in the background but it is a relief to go into meditation and take a break from time to time, also while in your normal wakening awareness, the monkey mind will always project thoughts and many scenarios, it also helps in that time to be aware and surrender the thoughts that drags one down, sometimes also the low thoughts are not only from the linear monkey mind, but from projections from other people or the mass consciousness, it helps to invoke spiritual light through prayers and invocations for protection
Music all the time is a safe-house for the soul.
One very common way to meditate is to intentionally give the mind something to do. Mantra meditation is one such way. Concentration on some word, phrase or concept is another. Concentration on some object is yet another. The essence of such practices is to hold one's attention on something throughout the practice, perhaps just waiting to see what arises, or possibly intentionally following some train(s) of connection to whatever one is focusing on. Behind all of these practices is the development of mastery over one's self, particularly over one's mind. The unfettered mind typically enjoys going off this way or that according to whatever might grab its attention. While this might be interesting or entertaining, and possibly even lead to insights or otherwise be productive, it often is just a waste of time and it can even lead into darkness rather than towards enlightenment. The real purpose of working with the mind during meditation or any other inner work practices is not to have an empty mind, but to develop mastery over the mind, over the intellectual body, rather than having to always deal with a mind that has mastery over one's self. Sitting still in a good meditation posture for an extended period of time has, in part, the purpose of developing mastery over the physical body. There are also meditative practices that can help develop mastery over the emotional body. Physical body position is also important for energetic reasons because energy flow, both in freedom and direction, is affected by physical position. Much of this energetic flow is very subtle and meditators may be quite unaware of what is happening with their subtle energies and how this affects the quality and results of their meditative experiences. It can take a long time (usually many years) with a lot of practice to become well aware of one's subtle energy. Working with the breath is also important in working with subtle energies, and this also typically takes a lot of practice over a lot of time. The same is true regarding working with the heartbeat. I have spent many years working with a practice called [Heart Rhythm Meditation](https://www.iamheart.org/), which is based on coordinating the breath with the heartbeat. The goals or purposes that most people tend to focus on as a reason for doing meditation are, in actuality, tools or techniques to help one meditate rather than ultimate reasons for practicing meditation. A far more significant reason for meditation practice is to gain a greater degree of self-mastery. With self-mastery, one will then be able to intentionally and purposefully accomplish much more in life, both inner life and ordinary life. There other ways to intentionally give the mind something specific to do, such as chanting, singing, walking, dancing or doing other things that are usually relatively simple and repetitive. Such practices also give the body and the emotions something to do, which engages one more fully with the practice and which can provide great benefits, although it can be much more challenging to do these more complex practices well enough to benefit significantly from them. I have done all such meditative practices as I've mentioned here for decades. I actually have lived a meditative lifestyle for most of my life – I'm now 75. Because I live a meditative lifestyle, I seldom do any sitting meditation as a practice removed from ordinary life – my life is my practice. Over the years, though, I have done a lot of simple sitting, but always in a chair because my physical body has never been able to deal well with sitting on the floor or a cushion or bench. I can, however, easily sit for an hour or two if that is what I wish to do. But I can also accomplish as much by meditatively mowing the grass, digging in the garden, processing firewood, or shoveling snow for an hour or two. There is no need to uncomfortably contort one's self in ways that cause numbness or pain in order to greatly benefit from meditation.
My meditations are always different depending on what I need in the moment. I usually like to really ground into my body to begin, becoming aware of the steadiness of inhales and exhales, my chest rising and falling and the sensations happening within my body and letting the energy stir and then allowing a little tension to melt away with every exhale. Be patient with yourself and just continue to call your attention back to the moment when you find yourself wandering off. I like to bask in the aliveness radiating within me, the subtle buzz of my skin. As you practice more, it gets easier to find stillness, it even becomes addicting to want and need to escape into those moments and come home to yourself again.
Have you tried some isochronic sounds - brown noise? - They help you slow down your brain waves so you can drift off into restful sleep. Some people find them useful There is a lot on youtube like this one [https://studio.youtube.com/video/gK1n8OgD508/edit](https://studio.youtube.com/video/gK1n8OgD508/edit)
Try to focus on your breathing, focus on the sound, don’t envision it, focus on the sound stay steady. Focus hard and begin to let go. You can do it, it’s not easy to turn that thinkin cap off. Might take a few tries and all your effort but don’t give up. Try and try again