Monday Meditation: It’s OK To Think

In spite of the prevailing information about meditation, it’s okay to think while we meditate. As a matter of fact, there is a lot to be said for occasionally letting our minds run free and unfettered for fifteen minutes without the sensation of being judgmental. It isn’t the thinking that is such a problem, it’s judging the thoughts. The trick is to let the thought go without dwelling on it or rationalizing or whatever. Just let the thought trickle through and don’t attempt to follow it. That’s a successful meditation session.

 

Whether it’s five minutes or twenty, meditation practice is more about quality than quantity. I read about celebrities who warm the cushion twenty-minutes a day, twice a day, but how many of those minutes are spent being judgmental? Most of us who have tried meditation have judged the process after the fact. That’s normal. What makes the practice productive and valuable is learning two things:

 

1.Don’t follow the thought over the river and through the woods and wherever else it wants to go. Just let it go, and return to the secret words, “Breath in, breath out,” and don’t worry about where thought is going without you.

2.Be patient and loving toward your mind and recognize that actually sitting still for a few minutes each day is restorative and calming to our brains, our hearts, and our attitudes. When we judge ourselves less, we judge others less as well. It’s tough. Never said it would be easy.

 

Be less judgmental too. It’s quite normal to think while we meditate. The challenge is how often we can resist the temptation to chastise ourselves for the thinking. It’s a counter-productive process to slap ourselves in the head every time a thought filters through our minds during meditation. It is a step in the right direction, maybe just a baby step, but a step nonetheless to lovingly ignore the thought, grin, and breathe. That’s all there is to it. Think. Grin. Breathe.

 

Are you kind to yourself when thinking interrupts meditation?

 

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

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Be well, write well

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