Ever get overwhelmed by life and need to destress? All the expert sites recommend the same thing: Meditate. But for some of us, it just ain’t so simple.
I talked before about having bees in my head, so when I sit down to meditate, thoughts buzz around in my cranium. But I’ve stuck with it and now have a few ways to getting my noisy ideas to settle themselves down.
I cannot just think of nothing. When I wipe my mind clear, something always pops up. It reminds me of the original Marvel Secret Wars (turn away if you don’t like geeky comic book references). In the series, Dr. Doom steals the Beyonder’s powers, but becomes too powerful — able to create or destroy on a whim. Captain America rushes him and is vaporized in an instant. Yet just the idea of him being alive again is enough to bring him back. Every thought Doom has materializes.
This is what my brain feels like when I try to meditate. I vanquish all thoughts, only to have them rematerialize again. So now my idea is to roll with it and use the power of my imagination against itself (why is everything so battle oriented?).
When I inhale, I imagine pulling strings of doubt and tension out of my arms and legs. This negativity balls up in my chest as my lungs fill with air. Then, on the exhale, I picture the string unraveling through my mouth back into the world. This trick doesn’t always work, but it does help me focus on breathing.
Additionally, setting the stage for mediation is just as important as the act itself. If you have an all-consuming thought rattling around in your head, just sitting for a few minutes breathing won’t do a thing. You have to start the unloading process early.
It’s a bit like warming up before you do a sport. If your body isn’t limber, you will pull a muscle. Same with destressing. You have to joggle loose those stressors so they can more easily be pulled free.
Things that work for me are listing (either on a notepad or a journal). Just vent a little to remove the stigma of those negative thoughts. Most of the time they want to fill up your head and dominate your thinking. But little things count too. Switching on some music you like. A nice cup of joe. Anything to put you into a positive frame of mind.
So chuck out those negative nellies and start relaxing now.
Tim
