“WISDOM WITHIN” BY ALISHA OLIVIER
Q: Dear Alisha,
When I go to meditate, my mind wanders and I lose focus and give up after a few minutes. Do you have any tips?
Thanks,
Beth
A: Dear Beth,
First things first, “commit before you sit”. All too often when our mind begins to wander we stop our meditation prematurely because we feel it is not “working”. The mere fact that you are aware that you are thinking means it’s working! Awareness is the first step to Mastery. For someone new to meditation I would suggest sitting in meditation between 15-30 minutes 2 times a day. But find a schedule that works for you. Begin by creating a space that is conducive to meditation, somewhere quiet that you wont be distracted. Sit comfortably in a chair or on a cushion on the floor. Close your eyes and begin to feel your breath move through your body temple. Allow stress and tension to fall away. Then begin to focus on the breath, witnessing the inhalations and exhalations. Continue like this and when you notice that the mind has wandered come back to the repetition of the breath. In this way your breath becomes an anchor for your mind. Without this anchor the mind will do what it is trained to do, generate thoughts. We have over 80,000 thoughts per day, our intention in meditation is not to stop the thoughts but rather to quiet down the thinking mind and enjoy the stillness and silence in the space between the thoughts.
People ask this question often, it is a very good question and one of many that people have before beginning a meditation practice, for this reason I highly recommend being taught the basics of meditation from a certified meditation instructor. I have found that people that learn meditation from a teacher have a much higher chance of enjoying a regular meditation practice. For more information on how to find a meditation teacher for you please email wisdom@tranquilityretreats.com
Love and light,
Alisha