Meditation is all about achieving a state wherein our body is relaxed, the mind is concentrated, and we are connected with our inner selves. Do you find it difficult to achieve this?
Well, one of the most common reasons behind this is a distraction. While meditating we often get distracted and it does not let us reach the mindful goals we’ve set. The best way to handle distractions is to let them pass without even giving them attention or energy. If we do so, we enable ourselves to strengthen our focus naturally.
However, this solution takes a different path when we are distracted due to different sources, or problem-solving processes, or trying to understand ourselves. The fact is that when we are interrupted by different thoughts, images, and the past…our concentration reduces. In this blog, we will be exploring different ways to achieve a mindful meditative state without being distracted. So, let’s get started.
Understanding the Five States of Mind
According to the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, there are five states of mind based on the concentration process. The surprising fact is that each state reveals something about reducing distraction. The five states of mind are:
- Kshipta: Disturbed and frightened about
- Mudha: Bewildered and stupefied
- Vikshipta: Distracted
- Ekagra: One-pointed
- Nirrudha: Fully arrested in concentration
The first two states of mind are not considered to be apt for concentration. Because a disturbed mind is not able to shake the agitations haunting behind. A confused or bewildered mind is worse because it keeps making mistakes such as obsession or addiction.
The history of meditation says there is hope for both states, however, it needs proper practice in systematic relaxation, relaxed breathing, or yoga postures. According to this, you might have to spend several months or longer to bring order and self-control.
Regular meditators easily inhabit the third state of mind and aim to get to the fourth state. Through focus, improvements, and thought process, you can easily improve your mindful meditation practice. Let’s move to the next section to explore how we can reduce distractions while meditating.
Effective Tips to Reduce Distractions While Meditating
1. Process recent thoughts
One of the most common distractions we struggle with while meditating is the thoughts we get right before getting into the posture. If you watched the movie last night or stood up, you might keep on memorizing scenes from it.
The fact is that our mind needs time to process thoughts before coming into the right state. The only effective way to get rid of thoughts is to allow yourself a moment and then move on slowly to the meditative state.
2. Follow random thoughts
I read in a book that when we are into deep thinking, our mind gets constantly distracted by trivial events. Even while we are doing something important, our mind is followed by imaginary events that are not even related to the current situation. Such thoughts are so attractive that they do not let us achieve the mindful state that we require the most while meditating.
One of the best ways to fix such distractions is to keep on reminding yourself that you are meditating, you can’t be side-tracked by such irrelevant thoughts, and you need to bring back your focus.
3. Play a peaceful song in your mind
There are some distractions that keep on overpowering our minds and we get exhausted because we really need to focus. For example, while writing an exam, we get stuck with certain songs or dialogues that are not relevant and we feel the urge to bring our focus back to the exam sheet to complete our answer sheet on time.
The resilience of such repetitive and irrelevant thoughts makes us obsessed. However, with the help of relaxed breathing or emulsifying ourselves into a meditative state, we can easily achieve the meditation goals.
4. Focus on the pain
If you’re in pain and you cannot get rid of the thoughts associated with it, you can easily fix them by occupying your thoughts with pain-relieving strategies. The best way to manage pain is to join it and inspect it fearlessly.
Thinking about learning something new from the pain associated, you can also learn relaxed diaphragmatic breathing. When our breathing gets agitated, we create a supportive inner space that makes us feel relaxed. With such practices, pain loses the ability to distract us while meditating.
5. Think about your fantasies
In yoga, sexual fantasies are used as the psychological urge to maintain a connection with our inner selves. The pleasure of thinking about your fantasies or sex is irreplaceable.
Sexual thoughts engage with our mind and make our thinking more satisfied, the good part is that such energy can be used for achieving the third and fourth states of meditation. With the help of focused breathing and stillness, you can manage your steamy fantasies. Scientifically, when you exhale, you feel pleasant sensations.
6. Work on Doze off
If you’re a beginner, you might have tried imagining yourself to be aware especially during guided meditation when in fact you were snoring loudly enough.
This happens due to the formation of dreamlike or strange images that distract the mind, makes us fuzzy, and slides us toward dozing off. You might hear the instructions but not be able to register them because you were distracted by the dream-like images. The best way to overcome sleeping during meditation is to hold on to your breathing pattern.
7. Silent your mind with “mantra”
Some professional meditators use mantras as their resource for increasing focus. The fact is that our mind rests in the sound chanted by us and it fills our mind with positive thoughts. Mantra chanting is one of the simple practices that should be adopted by beginners as well. Meditation makes us disciplined and with the help of mantras, we can focus and achieve the meditative state we’ve always been aiming for.
8. Focus on your emotions and desires
Our memory always keeps the big files of our wants, desires, and wishes. While meditating, we often find ourselves thinking about our desires. The aim of the meditation is to remain focused in the face of emotional nervousness.
The key to solving this issue is to not suppress your desires or blindly act strangers, you can enhance your focus by allowing such thoughts to come out but refrain yourself from acting upon them.
9. Correct your posture
60% of distraction comes when we are unable to achieve the right posture. If your posture is not right, you might not be able to achieve the state. It’s quite important to magnify your flaws, correct them, and allow your mind to achieve the right state. It’s also important to correct your postures to address misalignments in your body.
10. Let go of negative thoughts
When we start focusing deeply on the inner critic, we start developing negative emotions that keep on distracting us while meditating. The ego is one of the common sources of distraction, and we need to limit that. The only solution is to surrender your thoughts and imagine yourself in a safe environment so that you can find comfort in humility.
Key Takeaway: Develop Patience to Achieve the Right State
Meditation helps develop patience. In order to pursue patience, it’s important to connect with the senses, breathing patterns, and relaxed state. If you constantly feel distracted while meditating, don’t worry, build some patience because you have already begun to build patience. The more patience you develop, the better results you get.
One of the best ways to develop patience while meditating is to practice mindfulness meditation and stick to the routine. Increase the meditation time moment by moment and you’ll see a lot of positive changes unfolding.
Meditation allows you to be yourself and helps to gather the strength to achieve your goals. If you keep on finding yourself distracted, you can start small, you can learn to meditate without getting distracted for a short period of time, and eventually increase the timings so that you can achieve the right meditative state.
I hope this blog helps you with the most effective tips to meditate without being distracted. Comment down and share your views on the same. For more such content, connect with us on all social media platforms.
Thanks for reading!
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