Meditation is supposed to be great, right? It helps you to quiet the mind, become less reactive, and feel calm … right?
But one thing I hear all the time is, “My mind is just TOO busy to meditate,” like the ability to gain a calmer mind is only available to those whose minds are already calm, or something. What’s worse, many of us feel inadequate or somehow broken if we can’t magically turn our busy brains off at will.
Can you relate to this? Do you ever feel that your mind is just too busy to meditate? Well if so, you’re actually quite normal.
Consider this: while focusing your mind is ONE way of meditating, it’s by no means the ONLY way to meditate. Think about it, our brains are meant to process information constantly, even when we sleep. It’s disingenuous to think we can suddenly switch off our brains. Our brains are computers that are designed to constantly process the millions bits of information we perceive each second. Perhaps clearing our mind is the wrong objective. Perhaps, we should instead learn to embrace our busy mind and find the calm that exists with that endeavor.
Have you ever considered that perhaps your busy mind could actually be a tool for meditation rather than a hindrance? In fact, it could be your greatest tool to acquire the calm you seek. And to explore this idea, maybe we should examine what meditation is.
At its essence, meditation is simply the ability to remain present with exactly whatever you’re experiencing in the moment. That’s it. Meditation is not just clearing your mind, it’s being aware. What’s more, meditation can actually help you become aware of the part of your being that is larger than your thinking mind.
Back in the day, French philosopher René Descartes said, “I think therefore I am,” asserting that the proof of one’s being was invariably tied with their ability to think. But he was too tied to the idea of the mind equating our quality of being. Another and more recent French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, edited Décartes words radically and pared them down to: “I am.” This drastic revision asserts that what we are is fundamentally larger than our ability to think. In effect, Sartre is saying that our essence is simply being, and specifically to be present, is what lies at the essence of our being. We can practice this essential being, this being present, with any object, be that a person, a sunset, or even a busy mind.
This presence is what we are ultimately doing in meditation. We are being with what is. And if what seems to be most present in your awareness is a busy mind, then so be it. That’s the object that is going to help you practice being at your most fundamental essence. I would also proffer that our most natural comportement, one that is tied fundamentally to our presence and therefore our being, is that of relaxed alertness. This is the calm that people talk about as the byproduct of meditation.
But how do you put that into practice? How does one achieve this calm, especially with a busy mind? One way to use and even appreciate a busy mind is with a simple form of meditation I call the “There Is” practice. To do the “There Is” practice, set a timer for 5 minutes and close your eyes (regular but short bouts of meditation are the best way to start meditating, in my opinion). As you begin to meditate, in your mind, announce whatever you happen to be most aware of at the moment with the phrase, “There Is.” e.g., “There are thoughts of work. There is the smell of coffee. There is a cat licking my toe . . . .”
Now, There are two basic rules with the “There Is” practice. First, try to avoid personal pronouns like I, me, and my. Instead of “I am thinking about work,” or “I smell my coffee,” change it to, “There are thoughts of work,” and “There is the smell of coffee.” This changes you from being conflated as the object you’re aware of to become identified as the observer of it.
The second rule is that for the duration of the “There Is” practice, nothing is neither good nor bad. It’s all just information. This includes the meditation itself so there is no achievement in it. When your mind wanders (squirrel!), cuz even the most skillful of meditators mind wanders, simply bring it back to the practice without any judgement, perhaps even with the phrase, “There is wandering mind,” or “There is busy mind.” You are not trying to change it, you are simply observing it.
Soon, you will learn to observe your mind rather than trying to control it. If your mind is busy, let it be busy and watch it flutter from one thought to the next, just like it loves to do, all the while simply observing it like watching someone flip through the different channels on a television. In no time at all, you will become grateful for the beautiful object that is your busy mind because you will realize that it has led you to an incredible presence. And since what you are is larger than your thoughts, you may start to realize that your natural way of being is calm, collected, and steady, despite the fact that your mind is still buzzing away. And you came to this awareness through the ability to watch your mind rather than identify with it.
I’m starting my 31-Day Meditation Challenge on January 1, 2022. I invite you to join me and create an incredibly bold and positive foundation for a conscious new year.The challenge is simple: meditate every day for 31 days for 15 minutes or more in any style you wish. It costs $31 and if you finish the challenge, you can even opt to get your tuition back. I’ll be supporting you with emails, resources, and weekly live and virtual meditation sessions with our global meditation group.
Even if you feel your mind is too busy to meditate, this is your chance to prove to yourself that your busy mind could in truth be the perfect tool to help you find the calm that is your natural way of being. I encourage you to meditate with us during this challenge and discover your natural calm, despite your busy mind.
