Are You Having Fun Yet?

When was the last time you really ‘enjoyed’ your meditation?

Do you always enjoy your practice? Or does it seem tedious, like a chore; something you have to do, just because it’s good for you? Can meditation ever be more than just ‘brushing your mind’ twice a day?

Are you still bothered by all those ‘distractions’ that pop up every time you sit down to practice?

Why does this happen just when I want to be quiet and clear my mind? Will I ever get a calm & quiet mind or will I be forever plagued by planning, worrying, regretting, and those inevitable ‘earworms’ that keep running through my mind.

Why do I keep talking to myself? Haven’t I heard enough of my constant complaining and self-criticism? Or do I really need more self-talk each day for some obscure or crazy reason? And what is it with that tone of voice my self-critic seems to use all the time. Why is it always so aggravating? Why can’t it be like smartphone voices, where I can change the voice to one that I like; more pleasing, less irritating?

If it is really ‘MY’ mind, why does it seem that, most of the time, I have no control over it at all?

Could it be that we don’t (or can’t) really ‘control’ our mind? Is it possible that the constant blather that comes up in my mind is not personal?… Just the mind trying to find something to keep itself busy? Then why do we take everything we think as ‘real,’ serious and personal? Does it seem that way to you?

If all or some of the above is true for you (as it is for me), then it seems we need to find a way to work with what is arising (and will continue to arise) in the mind. Perhaps there is a way to work with these distractions that releases tensions around them, rather than increasing our tension and aversion.

The first step in the process is to acknowledge that what comes up in the mind is not always personal and really is the mind just trying to find something to do.

The second step is to deal with distractions in a way that releases tensions, rather than increases them or suppresses them, only to arise again at a later day and time. This type of practice can be used alongside our regular meditation to bring a quality of uplifted ease into our practice, perhaps even a sense of joy!

Release • Relax • Return