How To Overcome Thoughts During Meditation
Question: How can someone overcome thoughts that keep entering the mind during meditation?
Sanjib: What will you be thinking about in 20 seconds time? What will you be thinking about in 5 seconds? In fact, what will be your very next thought? Well, none of us really know do we? The point I am trying to illustrate is that we don’t actually control our thoughts. They come and go as they please, without any regard as to whether we want them to or not. So the quick answer to your question, “How can I overcome thoughts from entering my mind during meditation” is simple, you can’t!
However, as always, yoga provides a very practical solution to every problem in life. Though we may not be able to control which thoughts come into our minds, we can certainly control how long they stay and what impact they have on us. A secret known by the ancient Rishis of India reveals that the mind will naturally find its balance and equilibrium after 20 minutes. What that means for us, is that if you can gradually train yourself to sit still and quietly for 20 minutes (simply observing all your thoughts and botherations), the mind will automatically slow down the number of thoughts entering its system, without you having to do anything at all.
Thoughts will always enter your mind. Never try to resist them. In fact, welcome your thoughts, good or bad. Whatever you are thinking about during meditation; simply become aware of your thoughts, and observe them like an outside observer. Imagine your mind as a movie screen where you are watching the events unfold. Once finished, the movie scene (your thoughts) will naturally move on without you having to make a conscious effort. Never force yourself to stop thinking or to stop allowing thoughts to come into your mind.
Another ancient secret is that our minds do not process negative commands, i.e., if I tell you to “not think of a pink elephant”…what is the first thing your mind will do? Think of a pink elephant! In the same way, the more you tell your mind to stop thinking, the more thoughts will enter, even faster than before. A thought is nothing more than a vibration of energy. Too many thoughts will deplete our energy levels, and thus, the more you think about your thoughts during meditations, the more bothered you will feel and more frustrated you will become.
Meditation is about letting go; letting go of all your efforts, all your anxieties, all your stresses, and simply dissolving into a deep state of rest and relaxation. Relax; enjoy watching your thoughts; keep focusing on your breath. Whenever you find your mind wandering, gently smile to yourself and in a nurturing and compassionate manner, bring your mind back to your breath. Focus on breathing in deeply and slowly, and then breathing out, making large rounded circles.
With regular practice, your mind will become steadfast and your thoughts will diminish in both quantity, and the time they stay within you. Start your practice by saying, “Today I will sit still and quietly for two minutes.” A few days later, increase the time to five minutes. A couple of weeks later raise your concentration levels to ten minutes, and so on. We are creatures of habit, and by slowly teaching our minds to slow down, meditation automatically prevails and we elegantly dissolve into our inner realms.
Thoughts are a natural by-product of meditation. They have a purpose, but for now, you don’t need to understand them. Simply accept them in all shapes and sizes, and remain focused on staying calm by focusing on the breath. Meditation is the graceful art of allowing the mind to settle into its natural state, and allowing our inner divinity to shine though.
Yoga is the union between our soul, the mind and the outer shell we call the body. The interlinking component between these three facets is the breath. By controlling our breath, we can steady the mind, which in turn, rests the body and provides a seamless pathway for our soul to shine through.
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Yoga and Meditation is an exercise of relaxation. The main confusion to people is they think yoga and meditation is about concentrating or focusing. Will request author to elaborate with simple quotes since union between soul and mind will be out of the blue for most people. Thanks
Balaganesan
Thanks Sanjib ..this was brilliant as usual
Sangeeta
Just accept things as they are, no need of avoiding any thoughts and once you accept it, you will automatically over come from all your thoughts during meditation and even after that.
absolutely Sudha…beautifully said:)
thanks , but guruji had said this, not me…..
maybe so..but you were the hollow and empty instrument which allowed his grace to flow through..
its so simple let the thoughts come.. seek for more thoughts.. it will disappear.. Resist will persist, when u persist it will be resisted.
Mr Sanjib, I slightly have a different perspective. as in ancient times rishis use to do yog or meditation ( mind to soul programming ) whereas yoga here of today is body-mind relaxation. In yoga you are shifting your focus from body to mind to get relaxed irrespective of governing or directing your thoughts where as meditation is congregation with the supreme where in you allow thoughts to come, you sort them out redirect it with positive thoughts from the supreme thus get contented which is termed as transformation or change. meditation is one such technique where in you set your levels high by redirecting your thoughts by inculcating true values..
Great thing, My friend Sanjib u r gr8…………
be a witness for your thoughts.Let them come just observe them.after some time you feel that you are hollow & empty..
u really become hollow, i have experienced this ,what a divine feeling.sanjib beautifully explained as usual.
relaxed after reading t… being Centred …by focusing on my breath 4m now…thank u Sanjib 4 ur selfless service….God bless.
YES OBSERVE YOUR THOUGHTS AND WITNESS IT,
U CANNOT GET RID OF THEM AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH
IT HELPS
Thanks Sanjib!!!… u r absolutely correct…… As Guruji said “Mediatation is nt concentration… its de-concentration”
attend to your breath, and encourage more thoughts, not sure how many agree, but it works for me…. I encourage thoughts and it becomes blank in while
Sanjib,
This is so beautifully written.Literally able to visualise what you are trying to convey.Thanks for the Rishis ancient secret of meditation of 20 mins.It makes a lot of sense.Brilliant Sanjib…Feeling Hollow and Empty is the crux of meditation…………Thanks !!!
Abs. right, Sanjeeb. One could also visualise the thoughts as waves in the vast ocean of existence. They come, lash the shore and subside/fade away. As one brings this visualisation into focus, one can see that the waves become less intense until they becomes mild ripples.
Thoughts which are unfulfilled , come to our mind while in meditation…so just like cross ventilation allow the thoughts to come and go like air…
I liked the posting & think that it will be helpful for others. Keep up the good work. Good luck.
Sanjib,
I really liked your article. Can you please explain in more detail what you mean by “focus on breathing”? What am I supposed to imagine? Am I supposed to follow the sensation of the breath entering my nostrils, going down my wind pipe into my lungs and then out? Also, I have heard that I should focus my gaze on the location of my “third eye”. Is this true? If so, how do I do this?
Thanks again for the encouraging article!
Ravi
Thanks a ton!
Dear Sanjib
Jai Gurudev
This article is so sweet, so simple, and really thought provoking. Brilliant thoughts. Really benefitted greatly by reading this invaluable article.
Regards
Sundaram Iyer
Meditating works wonders for me. Absolutely love it! Everyone should try it!
Hello,
My query is a little different from what is given above.
I can’t let go of some things. These are not materialistic things. These are things which everyone faces in daily life. I just can’t seem to let go of unpleasant things. I ruminate on them, visualising that if this happens, I will do this, that etc.. Sometimes I feel, I don’t know how to live Life !!
So many others must be experiencing so many unplesant things in routine life, but I can’t get over some things. I ruin precious time and energy over these things. How do I learn to let go and forgive ?
Please let me know.
Looking forward to your reply !
Very well explained. Thank you so mcuh.
Even I want to add a point to it.
Mind a buch of thoughts and thought is a high frequncy energy generated. We cannot destroy or stop energy, this means that we cannot destroy or stop the thoughts, we can only transfrom the the thought-enegry into other forms. Depending upon the individual interset and perception, one can transfrom the tought-energy into the form of energy which makes one happy and relaxed.
For eg., one likes to watch football, just watch football and transform all the thoughts into a single thought. By doing to so, a single thought will flow through the mind and makes the mind lighter and powerfull. This is “Meidation” in its simplest form.
Based on the plane on which, one chooses to transform the “thought-energy”, one will atain peace, happiness and bliss. The higher the plane one chooses, the more stable one will be. There is no pre defined rule for any one, becuase one is a free soul and has a “Freedom of Choice” to define ones own life.
awsome sanjib n all other friends .learnt a lot .god bless everyone
It’s really helpful Sanjib..Thanks!!