Mental Fitness: Meditation is Training of the Mind

Meditation, amongst other things, is a training of the mind. A training of attention, of patience, awareness, non-judgement and compassion. And the benefits go beyond ourselves to those around us and our overall environment too.??

We set our intention to focus on the breath – in, out, in, out…and very quickly the mind gets pulled into the email that we forgot to the kids’ imminent doctor’s appointment – we wake up in a stream of thought and bring the attention back to the breath.

Each time you get distracted and bring the attention back you are “strengthening the neural circuitry for focus” as Daniel Goleman, author of ‘Focus – The Hidden Driver of Excellence’ sums up in this short BigThink video on Meditation & Attention - Train Your Brain. ?

Being able to exercise focused attention simply means being able to direct your attention, becoming aware if your mind has wandered, and then being able to redirect your focus. A practice of mindfulness is a practice of calming and focusing the mind – this ability to stabilise and direct the mind is especially important in times of distress or distraction.

There are a number of studies that back this up, clinical data which demonstrates that a sustained practice of paying attention during mindfulness meditation practice improve our focus, attention, memory, decision making and overall cognitive function. This article on Fast Company, nicely titled From Om to OMG: Science your Brain and the Productive Powers of Meditation brings together a number of them.

Often the people I speak to about meditation share in their belief that meditation is an escape from daily life, and I understand why – closing the door to the world and shutting the eyes is still a radical act and goes against everything we’ve learnt – after all we’ve all got problems to solve, people relying on us and things to get on with. Meditation (or mindfulness) is pointing the camera back on yourself and with this perspective we can observe our inclinations, distractions and preoccupations. This is exactly why I believe meditation is like a training, for what can be the chaotic nature of daily life…

During formal meditation, we meet physical and mental challenges – exactly as you would during physical exercise (think about the resistance faced when going that extra mile on your run or 1 more rep when lifting weight). Let’s say the intention is to sit and practice for 10 mins. During this time, I notice that the body wants to move, I’ve an itch on the nose or some discomfort – the immediate reaction is to get rid of the discomfort to be comfortable again.

The practice is to notice this tendency to immediately react and notice the thoughts which suggest I should do something, and then develop the capacity to be able to be with these sensations, explore them and their physical nature. Allowing my thoughts of judgement of the sensation – annoying, frustrating etc. to pass. This for me was a good insight into how I react to stressors in daily life – automatic and mindless reaction vs. a pause, breath and mindful response.

The parallels to daily life seem clear: how I relate to the stressors during a meditation practice gave me some understanding of how I relate to triggers in my daily life, and through practice, developed a new relationship to the stressors that arise daily. Do they all require my immediate reaction? No. Do I have a choice in how I respond? Yes.

It’s not a quick fix, and there are no shortcuts to mindfulness – it certainly takes time and training, patience and practice to nurture the habit of meditating or reflecting. I found that the more I practiced, the more insight I gained about the way my mind worked, eventually leading to a greater amount of time to choose a response in the face of a trigger – the decisions not always perfect but creating more opportunity to be able to decide is certainly helpful.

Here are a few tips that I picked up along the way from my experience and the many people who I've come across (with far more understanding and experience than me), my teacher, books, podcasts, blogs etc.??

1. Begin by sitting – get comfortable. This doesn't mean get ready for sleep but sitting on floor cross-legged is not required! I recommend a chair where your feet can be firmly placed on the floor. Sit on the edge of the chair so you can remain upright if possible. Lean back if you need to, just make sure it still feels an 'alert' posture.
2. Close your eyes – if that feels safe for you, shutting of this sense perception helps us turn inside.?But lowering the gaze is ok, enough to avoid any obvious distractions.?
3. Breathe naturally – let the air flow naturally and peacefully, as it does usually. No need to regulate or control the breath.
4. Release physical tension – listen to your body's signals, notice where you may be holding on and relax the muscles as needed.
5. Allow the mind to be – we're not trying to stop thoughts or empty the mind. Racing thoughts when we sit are very much part of the practice, notice them and allow them to pass without attaching meaning to them.
6. Have patience – this is not a quick fix to ‘get it’ – allow time?to find your way. Be consistent and build the practice over time.

And most of all, go easy on yourself - there is no such thing as a good or bad meditation. We learn a little about ourselves with each sit, so let go of any expectations and just sit!