So meditating is hard.

Tried meditating today for the first time since day 6 of the program and the results were mixed. I felt more chilled out afterwards and it was nice to try and not focus on the past or future, but I found the relaxation of my muscles part really difficult. Does anyone have any tips?

Thanks,

Calum

 

Hi Calum,

Aim to be present, to notice without judgement whatever physical sensations you have. So if your muscles are tense rather than relaxed, this is okay. If you are striving for relaxation you set up an unrealistic expectation for yourself. Then all of a sudden you are dwelling and fretting that you can't relax. For weeks I had a very tight feeling in my chest while listening to a guided body scan meditation. My first instinct was to worry and get upset that I couldn't let go of the tension. So gradually I learned to accept the tightness without trying to change it until one day it wasn't there anymore.

 

When I started meditating a few years ago, I set a timer for five minutes and simply attempted to focus on my breath using a mantra for the in-breath and for the out-breath. Other thoughts will come in, that is the nature of our minds, but you learn to not pay attention and just let them pass by without judgment. Within a relatively short amount of time, I worked my way up to half an hour. I committed to this practice because I believe in its ultimate value for my health and well-being. I am not some guru by any stretch, but it is called a "practice" for a reason, and I know that I am slowly, but surely, rewiring my brain. I think the best piece of advice I was given at the very beginning of my practice was, "Keep showing up."

 

Calum, Good for you for trying the meditation. It can be difficult when you're just starting out. But I found its like working out - the more I do it, the easier it gets -some muscle inside of me gets used to 'chilling' and then I end up wanting more of that state. I started out downloading lots of free meditations from podcasts or the internet and have used Schubiner's meditations a lot recently because it talks directly to the parts of me involved with TMS.
Start small - 5 minutes at a time and work up to it. I started doing 5 minutes 3 times a day which would lead to 15 minutes total of meditation. It was something to be proud of for my busy brain! Keep on keeping on Calum!!