Many of my clients and students tell me that they “aren’t good at meditation” because they “can’t clear their mind of all thoughts.”
I’ve had a daily meditation practice for over 9 years, and in that time I’ve reframed my understanding of meditation.
Contrary to popular misconception, meditation is not about emptying the mind of all thoughts. As long as you are conscious and have a brain, you will have thoughts. The brain, unfortunately, cannot be turned off.
So, if meditation isn’t about clearing your mind of all thoughts, what is it about?
What, Exactly, Is Meditation?
Meditation is a practice of noticing: your thoughts, physical sensations, the cresting and receding waves of emotion, the energy around you and within you.
Once you understand this principle, you can turn any moment into a meditation.
Examples of Meditation Moments
Driving a Car
Driving a car can be a meditation when you’re focused on the road and scenery and what’s really going on around you — as well as within you.
When I’m in the car and the car in front of me is driving slowly, I notice the tension building in my chest and belly before I start to feel agitated in my mind. The awareness that meditation brings.
When I notice how I have the urge to just “get there” — that’s an awareness that comes from meditation.
When I notice my frustration at the car in front of me — even though it might be going at the speed limit — that’s the awareness that comes from meditation.
Interactions With Other People
When I see someone else get recognition for sharing concepts that I’ve been sharing for years without getting traction, and I notice my judgments and despair arise, that’s the awareness that comes from the meditation practice.
When I watch someone achieve a goal that I’ve been working towards but haven’t yet reached, and I notice a thought arise that “I’ll never get there,” that’s the awareness that comes from meditation.
Sensory Experiences
When I notice myself getting agitated or flustered by excess noise and stimulus, that’s awareness.
When I eat something and really notice how it tastes, and how the sensation of satiation registers in my body, that’s awareness.
When I notice the green leaves on the trees and the birds singing to each other as I step outside in the morning, that’s also awareness that comes from meditation.
Movement
When I move through a yoga practice or workout and notice how my mind and muscles engage together (or how they fail to connect with each other), that, too, is an effect of meditation.
A Practice of Noticing
As these examples show, meditation is not simply about sitting in silence on a cushion in a vain attempt to empty your mind.
Meditation is simply a practice of noticing the thoughts, sensations, and emotions that move through you. It requires slowing down enough to be present to your experience,
You don’t need to have a meditation cushion — or even sit at all. You don’t need to close your eyes, or find a quiet corner or have any big “set-up” to meditate.
You simply need to set an intention to turn a moment into a meditation, slow down, and notice what is happening around you and within you.
You can do it right now.
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