Kestrel the Druid

Many find meditation difficult because it is hard to focus. You sit down to meditate. Instead, you find your mind racing down a rabbit hole of things you want to do. Things you need to remember. Even when you can push those things aside, you find your head filled with images and words. The most difficult thing for me is to clear my head of all words. I can clear my head of images, but I still hear words. Why is that? And how to overcome it?

The why is easy. All our lives, we have been conditioned to fill our every waking moment with something. We never let ourselves be bored. “Idle hands do the devil’s bidding.” If we are not working, we are actively engaged in hobbies. If we are not working on our hobbies, we are watching TV or our phones. We are always doing something while doing something. Listening to music while doing chores. Watching TV while working on a hobby. Just sitting and allowing your mind to be blank and unengaged is considered negative. So, the idea of actively letting your mind be still and silent has been worked out of us. It feels wrong, against our nature.

Another reason why is the idea that we can’t control our thoughts. It is a myth that we can control what we do with our bodies, but we can’t control our thoughts. It has been an easy excuse when someone’s thoughts slip out. Our facial expressions often betray what we are thinking. It is a lie that has been told over and over again. “I can’t help the way I feel.” “I can’t control what pops in my head.” And we believe it. The truth is you can control your thoughts. It just takes time and practice.

Now for the hard part, the how. If you’ve never meditated, or at least never had success at it. I would recommend trying some guided meditation apps. I have used Insight Timer, Medito, and Serenity in the past with some good results. Another tactic I’ve started using is to focus on the sounds around me. Since I am usually outside, it’s filled with the chirping of crickets and bird songs. By trying to focus on my hearing, I stop thinking. The key is to simply listen, don’t try to figure out what you’re hearing. Just let the sounds be heard. Think of it like going to a symphony performance. There are no lyrics. You’re not trying to listen to only one instrument but instead listening to the group as a whole. As you listen, you’re not analyzing the piece, you are simply enjoying it. Sometimes I find it helps if my eyes are closed, other times it helps if their open.

Another technique which has helped me clear my mind, is to do a body inventory. This is basically putting your attention on your physical body and noticing all the sensations you feel. The hard part is not labeling or analyzing the sensation, just allow yourself to feel it. I find myself often feeling a bug crawl on me and instantly think “bug” and want to identify the bug. While I have seen improvement, I can only go for a few minutes without some word or image popping into my head.

The moral of the story is “Don’t give up”. Even the most seasoned meditators still have days when they can’t focus. By continuing the practice, you will see improvements.