For coaching clients who want to become more self awareness and to gain some perspective on their thoughts and emotions I’ve found that meditation is a great help. It helps me see the sort of things I think about a lot and just that alone opens up more possibilities for me to do things differently.
But, this has not been an easy path…. When I first came across the idea of meditation I made it way too difficult. I used a set of my own standards which meant to do it properly I would have to put myself away in a darkened room and do it for at least an hour a day. In retrospect, for me, this was a way of avoiding it! So, if you are just starting out, just try it for 10 minutes – and try to do it each day.
Then, when I decided to do it regularly I kept thinking I was failing at even meditation because I kept on thinking! I’d got it all wrong – I’d imagined meditation was about having no thoughts, my mind as a blank slate, a calm pool.
WRONG!!! Meditation is about becoming aware of when you are lost in your thoughts. Kindly noting what sort of thought you are having – planning, fretting, thinking and then gently and kindly coming back to your breath. Over and over and over and over again! I’ve been doing this for about 18 months and I still regularly have sessions where I ‘come to’ at the end of 20 minutes and I haven’t followed my breath once! It doesn’t matter – my mind chatters – it is what minds do!. Just sit down again tomorrow and meditate all over again. Give it a go….
