By in Meditation

Meditation: Training the “Monkey Mind” for a Calmer Existence

In teaching my 4-week meditation course, I’ve realised three things.

  1. The first is that people often don’t really know what meditation is or have only heard of one way to meditate.
  2. The second thing is that quite a few people think they “can’t” meditate, or have been put off it because what they’ve tried in the past hasn’t worked for them. If they do they might think it’s really hard, you can either do it or you can’t, and some even think they “can’t” meditate.
  3. And finally, people who come on my courses sometimes think I’ll have some kind of magic wand to “make” them able to meditate.

I have seen so many benefits of meditation, and I had to try out lots of different ways of doing it before I found the thing that worked best for me, so I wanted to answer a few questions to help clear things up. Because I believe you can meditate, you just need to find the way of meditating that works best for you!

But no… I don’t have a magic wand (sorry). Here’s how it works.

Why Meditate?

If you look online you can read plenty of articles about the health benefits of meditation, for example, lowering blood pressure and reducing stress levels. But the reasons to meditate will be as different as each person who wants to do it. So, I’m going to share some of the benefits based on my own experience and those of my clients.

I know from experience that meditation can make you a calmer person and help clear your mind. I might not be able to “make” you stop thinking so you can meditate (which is not what it’s about anyway) but a clearer, calmer mind is one of the positive side effects of meditating regularly. A few people who attended my meditation course even said that it gave them more clarity.

I certainly don’t get caught up in other people’s dramas like I used to, and I don’t rush around like a headless chicken any more.

There have also been unexpected benefits to my physical wellbeing, for example, I had really bad eczema for three years but that’s all cleared up now, even though the doctor’s lotions and creams hadn’t worked.

For me, the main benefit of meditation is learning more about myself, which has given me the option to decide whether I want to change or not. Sometimes that can be challenging, as this involves learning about the things you might not necessarily want to own up to, but at least then I have the option of what to do with that.

I believe meditation helps you to more easily access whatever it is you need at the time – whether it’s calmness, clarity, a sense of wellbeing, or something else.

So what is Meditation?

Meditation is about training the mind and finding the right techniques for each person. For example, you can’t tell a busy mum to sit and meditate for an hour – it’s got to be something that’s right for you and your lifestyle.

You don’t have to be religious. You don’t have to be a Buddhist. For me it’s about training what I call the “monkey mind” – that part of your mind that runs all over the place and distracts you, making you feel stressed or overwhelmed can learn to be still and quiet.

It takes practice and discipline, but it’s worth it!

I don’t think I can meditate… what can I do?

The good news is that there is science that tells us that you can “teach old dogs new tricks” – it’s about creating the neural pathways in your brain. And to do that you need discipline and practice.

If you were hoping for a magic wand then sorry to disappoint you. But you wouldn’t give a new baby a knife and fork and just expect them to automatically know how to use them – even if you’ve shown them the first time, it takes practice. And after years of your monkey mind taking you off to wherever it wants to take you, it needs re-training. And from a scientific point of view it’s about practicing regularly to create those new neural pathways.

Do I have to be an “Olympic Meditator” for it to work?

There’s no need to be an Olympic Meditator, shutting yourself away and sitting cross-legged for hours on end.

On my courses and with my 121 clients, I introduce a whole range of techniques. You can even do some of these techniques with your eyes open, or when you’re walking around, in a meeting, or watching TV.
It’s about trying different things until you find something that works for you.

So where do I start?

Your first steps will depend on you and your lifestyle.

For some people, I suggest allocating 5 minutes a day – even if you just set your alarm 5 minutes earlier – to get that bit of quiet time. It can make all the difference.

For others, I might recommend a meditation app, because this makes it easier for some. This isn’t right for everyone but it’s where I started – though for me it was a 10-minute CD that I listened to each day.

Or I might teach mindfulness, which you can do if you have a very busy life. For example, you can be cutting a carrot while you’re preparing a meal, but rather than letting your mind run wild with what you need to do next, you can be fully present cutting that carrot – noticing what it feels like to stand there, the feeling of the knife in your hand, the sounds of it slicing through the carrot – being fully in the moment. This has a meditative effect. And you can even use mindfulness when you’re walking from A-B or picking up the kids – one student managed to do a technique I taught in a business meeting!

If I just recommend a specific technique and say “go do this” it can end up feeling overwhelming because it becomes yet another thing on your to-do list. So, I don’t just talk at my clients and tell them what to do – we come up with something together that they can go out and try and adapt for their life and lifestyle.

It’s about finding the way that works for you. I’ve tried so many over the years – even going and studying with a Buddhist Master in China for three months – that I’ve realised there is no one-size-fits-all.

So, if you’ve tried one or two techniques that haven’t worked for you, it’s ok… there are plenty more options to try. I’m sure you can find one that suits you.

What next?

If you’d like to try different forms of meditation and find a style that works for you so you can go and do it on your own, here are your options.

Meditation Workshop – A one off workshop where you can come along and find out how meditation works, try it out, and go home with a meditation exercise you can do for yourself.

4-week Meditation Course – Over the course of 4 weekly classes you will learn about meditation and how it works, trying out different styles, allowing you to come back and be supported whilst you try our different techniques at home.

121 Meditation Training – for a fully supported experience, tailored just for you. Contact me here.

Employee Wellbeing – I can come into your organisation and teach meditation to help improve employee wellbeing and in turn increase productivity and reduce absenteeism. Contact me here.

Louise
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