Thursday, January 28, 2010

Shhhhh....I Am Trying To Quiet My Mind Over Here!

I read over and over--and I really do believe it's true--that one of the most important parts of a witch's practice is learning to make meditation and visualization a regular part of their day.  I KNOW this...I BELIEVE this...so why, Oh WHY,. is this so hard for me to do?  I mean, ya, I get busy.  I have a 9 year old son and husband.  I have a job.  I have a home to take care of.  I am sure if I really wanted to I could sit down and make a big long list of all the reasons why I have not made these things a priority in my life--I am sure we all could.  The problem with this is--I KNOW I could find the time somewhere.  I know there are times when my butt is sitting at this computer that I could be doing other things.  So really all my excuses could fall by the wayside.  In other words--they don't hold water.  They just don't.

You see.  I actually know why I have failed in this area of my practice.  The truth?  You want the honest to goodness truth?  I SUCK at it--that's why.  Sitting there...quietly...doing nothing...It. Is. So.Hard. 

I cannot get into the zone, ya know.  I am no where near the zone.  Wherever the zone is. 

The whole time I am doing it---trying to do it---my mind keeps telling me that I am doing it all wrong.  I am not sitting right.  I am not laying down right.  I am not thinking right.  I am not quieting my mind right. 

And then, all the stuff I should be doing start flashing through my mind.  I hear this voice in my head.  It is telling me that there are dishes in the sink...the bathroom needs to be cleaned...that laundry pile ain't getting any smaller.  I really hate that voice.  But, it's there.  And it will NOT shut up.  So, finally after a few minutes, I get flustered and get up to go do what the voice was telling me to do.

I am not giving up, though.  I am going to make a commitment to really start working on it.  And if anyone has any advice to help me battle that voice I would surely appreciate it. 

Hope you are all doing well.  Be blessed....and be a blessing.

6 comments:

  1. Dessa,
    Yes, I understand.
    You see those that know me, know that
    I have hardly enough time in the day.
    I am the Full Time Caregiver for my Dad
    who lives with me. I work as an Intuitive/psychic Reader for a local shop
    & I fill in or guest in other shops...
    I travel between 2 cities for my private
    clients & to help my Mom,all the while with
    my Dad who is in a wheelchair in tow...
    Why do I tell you this? So you will understand.
    I Need this time. I love the opportunity to
    spend time with My Lady. It is my time, my
    sacred space...
    You have to love doing it - then the little voice will stop & give you those however few
    minutes for meditating or listening to the
    inner voice.
    If this helps, I like a bath or shower generally late in the evening, by candlelight... Sometimes I do my meditating there.
    You have to learn that the dishes can wait a few minutes, or the laundry...
    You don't Suck at it. Your expectations may Suck... People talk about visualization...
    Crap... Maybe it helps some people to visualize
    walking in some fairy garden or something - I don't know... Maybe it helps to visualize a "white light" or aura... More crap... Not
    everyone is good at visualizing & it's not neccessary.
    If your mind wanders, well OK.. If you spend
    a few moments even once a week eventually your
    mind will wander to where it should be... The
    connection... You have to make the connection,
    you have to really feel that bond with
    The Goddess/God, spirit - then it will come...

    Many Blessings!

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  2. Hi Dessa. I too struggle with getting round to meditating because there are just SO many other things to do ...like talking with you!

    My mind also wanders wildly during meditation and, like you, it's usually onto what I 'should' be doing. I've learnt to allow myself to accepth that what I should be doing at that point is meditating! A few minutes of focusing on proper abdominal deep breathing usually clears my head ...for a while! :)

    Hope that helps? ;)

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  3. I don't think your alone in this, emptying your mind is very hard, well mine is as its always filled with things I need to do. Like someone else commented I find meditating in the bath with some nice herbs/aromatherapy oils and candles work well for me, I always feel this is my time and everything else can wait.

    I also find the garden a good place to, as its the one place you can really tune into Nature and all its beauty. I have a little seat in my garden and I love to just sit there on a summers day listening to the birds and insects. Outdoors in the evening I find id also a good time.

    Don't put to much pressure on yourself meditating is a personal thing and we all do it at a different pace.

    Oops sorry just realised comment has turned into an Essay

    Electricwitch.

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  4. Boy, is this story familiar! I can tell you what worked for me. First, it is not possible for a human being to completely and totally empty his/her mind. If your mind is empty, you are dead.

    Second, I used this CD: Guided Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat Zinn. I can sum up the most helpful bit by saying just focus on your breathing. Don't attempt to influence, just watch it come and go, in and out. Your mind will attempt little side trips. When you notice this, just gently bring your attention back to your breath. You're not doing it wrong, it's not that it doesn't work for you, it's not that the method stinks, it's just that you need to bring your focus back to your breath. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to quiet your mind when you want to. Trust me, I'm not a doctor. ;)

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  5. I'm arriving a bit late to the party and there's already been some great advice given! I will say that we *all* have all that stuff running through our heads when we meditate. I've found for me the best way to approach it is to a. focus on breathing in and out through the nose and b. when those thoughts pop in, it's fine - I observe the thought without judging it or engaging it in "conversation" and I let it float by.

    One of the biggest parts of meditation for me beyond centering and letting go of tension is this process of examining myself. I treat my thoughts like a words on a movie screen floating by. I pay attention to how I feel in the moment, to my breath, my body and I breathe.

    I hope this helps some. I wish you best of luck!

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  6. I'm the same way. What helps me more than anything is focusing on my breathing. It's almost hypnotic.

    I have managed a few successful meditations though...so I'm getting better. :)

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