My name is Rory Kinsella and I've designed this test to find out if your mind really is too busy to meditate.
For this,
You'll need about 10 minutes and somewhere that you can sit comfortably with your back supported.
It doesn't have to be completely quiet and we're not going to be sitting in lotus pose or chanting or anything like that.
But we will have our eyes closed for a few minutes during the exercise.
This is a technique that you can do almost anywhere.
On the couch,
At home,
Sat parked in your car or anywhere else that's convenient.
And getting the answer to the question of whether your mind is too busy to meditate will open up a whole realm of possibilities in what you can expect from the benefits of meditation.
Benefits like being able to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
Or being able to not let stress get the better of you at work or at home when things are going a bit crazy.
Or benefits like having more energy in the afternoon so that you're not reaching for that second cup of coffee to get you through.
And so that you don't need that glass of wine or beer at the end of the day just to bring yourself back down.
We're going to do a short meditation exercise in a couple of minutes,
But I'm going to set you up for success by busting a very common meditation myth.
Meditation is not about clearing your mind.
It's not about magically creating a void in your head.
A successful meditation doesn't mean that you can switch your mind off just like that and go from a thousand thoughts a minute to total silence.
Meditation will give you a clearer mind over time,
But you don't need to empty your mind in the first five minutes to get there.
In fact,
Saying your mind is too busy to meditate is a bit like saying that you're too unfit to exercise.
Being too unfit to exercise is a great cue to start exercising.
Just like an overly busy mind is a very good sign that meditation is exactly what you need.
All you have to do is get past the idea that you need to be able to clear your mind at will.
Instead,
To judge our success,
We're going to look at how we feel before this exercise and how we feel afterwards.
Meditation is a tool for changing your mood,
Changing it from being stressed to feeling calm,
Or changing it from being tired to feeling more rested and ready to go again,
Or changing it from being frazzled to being slightly less frazzled.
And so that we have a baseline to compare with,
I'd like you to notice how you're feeling right now.
What are your energy levels like?
How does your head feel?
Is it a bit like a clenched fist or is it a bit more relaxed?
How impatient are you feeling for this to be over so that you can get back to whatever you were doing before?
Make a mental note so that you compare how you're feeling afterwards.
What I want you to look out for today is whether the exercise changes or improves your mood,
Even if only a little bit,
And regardless of how many thoughts go through your mind.
So that we have something calming to occupy our minds with during the exercise,
We will use a mantra,
Which is a word or sound that we repeat silently in our heads.
See if you can think it as lightly and gently as possible,
Not overly concentrating or forcing it.
In this exercise,
We'll be using the universal mantra,
Aham.
Okay,
Close your eyes and get comfortable.
We want our back supported by our head and neck free.
So try not to rest your head back on a cushion.
Using your nose,
Take a nice deep breath in,
Filling your lungs.
And sigh it out.
Again,
Through the nose,
A nice deep breath.
And sigh it out.
Release any tension you might be holding in your body.
In your shoulders or your neck.
In your jaw or your forehead.
And relax more deeply into your seat.
In this exercise,
We will use the mantra,
Aham.
Thinking it lightly and gently in our minds,
Not saying it out loud or moving our lips.
So along with me,
Start thinking aham.
Aham.
Aham.
Aham.
Aham.
Think it softly and gently in your mind,
Like a whisper of a thought.
And continue thinking the word aham in your mind.
Go at your own pace,
Not minding if you get distracted by other thoughts.
Just return to the mantra,
Aham,
Whenever you remember to.
Continue on your own for a minute.
Aham.
And open your eyes.
Did you have some thoughts?
That's good,
It's perfectly natural to think during meditation.
We're not trying to block out thoughts.
All we do is gently come back to the mantra whenever we remember to.
Okay,
Close your eyes and let's think the mantra again.
Aham.
Aham.
Aham.
Aham.
Continue for another minute on your own.
Aham.
Aham.
Okay,
Stop thinking the mantra now,
But keep your eyes closed.
You may have had lots of thoughts or you may not.
Either way,
It's a good outcome.
And even if you had hundreds of thoughts,
That doesn't define whether you'll be a good meditator or not.
Check in again with how you're feeling.
How are you feeling compared to a couple of minutes ago?
What are your energy levels like?
And how does your head feel?
Is there a tightness or do you feel more relaxed?
Are you still feeling impatient or a little bit more calm?
Okay,
Open your eyes.
That was only a very short exercise,
But notice if you're feeling slightly calmer,
Slightly more rested.
And if you are,
That's a good sign that you will quickly benefit from a meditation practice.
And if you're not and you found the exercise difficult or frustrating,
Then don't worry.
It doesn't mean that you're a lost cause.
No one's mind is too busy to meditate.
All it means is that you'll benefit from learning even more and from learning in the right way from a qualified teacher.
So did you pass the test?
Yes.
And the truth is that no one's mind is too busy to meditate.
A busy mind is a clear sign that meditation is something that you will benefit from a lot.
