How Your First Meditation Will Feel
Whether you call it a clarity break, mindful minute, meditation, downtime, or whatever, the common myth is that when we do focused mindfulness work, that our brains should just be quiet.
When this doesn’t happen, so many of us think we’re failing because we can’t hold our concentration on the breath, or whatever the object of our practice is.
Usually when we sit down for a mental break, our mind will be used to going a mile a minute, and trying to catch up with everything that’s been going on. So you’ll usually think about the emails you need to send, the work you still need to do, people you want to call, and a million other things.
This is perfectly normal! It’s EXACTLY what you should expect and it’s actually proof that the practice is working.
Think of your mind as a jar of water with some sand it in. Your busy life and hectic schedule are shaking it vigorously. When you take a break the water doesn’t immediately become still nor does the dust settle. As it slows down you see the water and the sand more clearly.
Because you’ve taken a break from external stimuli your brain gets a chance to sort things, and these are always the first things to bubble up to the surface. Instead of getting annoyed that you can’t settle the mind, (which is nigh on impossible!) you can be thankful that you remembered that important email you need to send. Without taking a break you might have completely forgotten.
As you make time for your mind more regular, you’ll notice less urgent things pop to the surface and deeper thoughts beginning to emerge. You’ll even begin to notice those days where the mind doesn’t immediately burst out an avalanche of thoughts.
Regardless of whether there’s a steady stream or a raging flood of thoughts, the time you’re taking is always building up your mental health. Having thoughts is not failing meditation, in fact every time we notice a thought we’re winning.
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