When people start practicing meditation, they often find themselves distracted by other thoughts.
After a minute or two of meditation, their minds wander off on a tangent that seems so much more interesting. Then they remember why they are there and abruptly focus back on the meditation. The question is, how can you gain enough focus and dedicated attention to go deeper into meditation?
As the old joke goes, a young musician once traveled to New York City especially to see the world’s top violin virtuoso perform at the legendary Carnegie Hall. Lost on the streets of New York and running late, he paused breathless and asked a senior gentleman on the street corner, “Can you tell me, please: How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The wise-looking gentleman looked him in the eyes, thought for a moment, sighed deeply and replied, “Practice, practice, practice!”
And so it is with meditation… practice, practice, practice, except that it’s a lot easier!
As you practice, keep refocusing your mind whenever it wanders off, and always be patient with yourself when you do this. It is the nature of the conscious mind to wander off, so there is no point in feeling bad about it. Be kind to yourself always and nudge your attention back on-purpose whenever necessary. Be a detached observer and let thoughts pass by you just like passing clouds. Continue reading →