{"id":63488,"date":"2019-03-07T21:03:10","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T05:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=63488"},"modified":"2019-03-11T18:43:44","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T02:43:44","slug":"training-your-mind-with-meditation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/training-your-mind-with-meditation\/","title":{"rendered":"Training Your Mind with Meditation"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/p>\n

\u201cMeditation is a science, the systematic process of training the mind.\u201d \u2013 John Yates, Ph.D.<\/p>\n

By sophomore year of high school, it had become clear that my mind was completely out of control. After a series of car crashes resulting from my own distraction and declining grades in school, I was promptly diagnosed with Attention-Deficit\/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and prescribed several medications. This came on top of a previous Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) diagnosis.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d sit down intending to accomplish something and end up scrolling endlessly on the Internet instead. A childhood of Lego-playing and reading had made me into an intellectual kid, but at this point in my life, I couldn\u2019t pay attention for more than 10 seconds on any given task.<\/p>\n

I was a wreck and this seemed to all stem from an unfit mind, trained to seek instant gratification in the form of social media \u201clikes,\u201d text messages and entertaining video clips. This state of mental fragmentation continued until I discovered a simple practice that would change my life.<\/p>\n

The Antidote<\/u><\/p>\n

While studying psychology at Yale, I stumbled upon a podcast episode that suggested meditation as a means of increasing productivity and wellbeing. But what began as a productivity tool quickly became an obsession, as I realized that I could train my mind to better suit my intentions.<\/p>\n

Through meditation, I slowly regained my ability to focus and also recognized a host of other benefits: behavioral change, emotional control, increased mood, better sleep, and less stress. These improvements in brain functioning are all interrelated and confirmed by scientific studies on the benefits of meditation.<\/a>[1]<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cYou have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.\u201d \u2013 Marcus Aurelius<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I began to recognize what a superpower it is to have control over your mind in a world of constant distraction. As we live in a growing \u201cattention economy,\u201d in which companies exceedingly profit from our attention (which determines future purchasing decisions), it\u2019s never been more important to be able to consciously dictate how we think, feel and interact with the world around us.<\/p>\n

One year out from college, with this realization in mind and the determination to bring secular meditation to a wider western audience, I left my job in finance and traveled to Bali, Indonesia to become a YTT Certified Meditation Teacher. Afterward, I spent time in the mountains with Buddhist monks, meditating in silence for 17 hours per day.<\/p>\n

How to Start Meditating<\/u><\/p>\n

There are so many different meditation methods that beginning a practice can seem daunting.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019ve laid out below isn\u2019t a quick fix. Rather, if you truly want to transform your mind, it will require consistent effort, just like training any muscle in the body. Everyone has the potential to make substantial progress, but only those who are disciplined will reach the advanced stages.<\/p>\n

Where to start?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Commit to a regular practice<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In what I call a\u00a0\u201cMinimum Viable Commitment,\u201d choose an amount of time that\u2019s so small it seems feasible even on your busiest day. Three minutes is all you\u2019ve got? Great, start there in establishing a regular daily practice. The only way to really \u201cfail\u201d at meditation is to stop practicing. Slowly increase the amount of time you spend in meditation and aim for 20 minutes at the end of your first month.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Find a posture<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Thankfully, there\u2019s no need to form a human pretzel in your meditation practice. Meditation posture simply involves having an erect spine (so that your mind stays alert) and eliminating your body from the equation. I like the phrase \u201csit with dignity,\u201d meaning not too stiff but also not too relaxed. You might sit in a\u00a0chair, on a cushion or even kneeling – whatever works best for you personally.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        Breathe<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        In the modern world, we spend so much time in the \u201cfight or flight\u201d mode. If your mind is racing and anxious, begin by taking elongated and smooth breaths in and out through your nose. You might exhale for longer than you inhale in order to help activate the \u201crest and digest\u201d parasympathetic nervous system.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Hone your attention<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Park your attention on a single spot, wherever you feel the breath most in your body. This is usually either the stomach or your nostrils. Whatever you choose, simply observe the sensations of breath as closely as possible at that one spot.<\/p>\n

          Keep your attention focused there for as long as possible. Each time that you find your mind\u00a0wandering, gently bring it back to your breath. The point here is not to force thoughts out, but rather just to recognize them as thoughts and keep returning to your object of meditation.<\/p>\n

          For the first couple of weeks, you will notice that your mind wanders often after just a couple breaths, forgetting that you\u2019re supposed to be meditation. You are training those attention muscles, the ability to have conscious control over where you direct your mind.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            Open your awareness<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            It\u2019s important to hone\u00a0your attention muscles before jumping to this next step or you will find it impossible to keep the mind from wandering off. Introspective awareness involves making your full experience, i.e. the mind itself, your new object of attention.<\/p>\n

            What does it feel like to be you in this instant? What kinds of thoughts, feelings,\u00a0and sensations are arising? Simply observe these occurrences without getting swept away into some narrative.<\/p>\n

            Many of the benefits of meditation come from increased metacognition as a result of this fifth step. By becoming more aware of how your mind works, you gain more control over your own internal mental machine.<\/p>\n

            These five steps can take you very far in meditation\u2026 There are additional techniques you might add to your meditation practice once you cultivate a strong\u00a0\u201cattention muscle.”<\/p>\n

            Practicing this simple exercise for the next couple of weeks, you\u2019ll be ready to progress to the deeper stages of meditation.<\/p>\n

            Best of luck in beginning your practice!<\/p>\n

            \n

            Liam studied Psychology at Yale and became certified as a YTT Meditation Teacher. He now runs a corporate meditation training company and blogs about mental wellness at FitMind<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

            <\/a>[1]For a great summary of the meditation research literature, check out a book called Altered Traits<\/em>by Daniel Goleman and Richie Davidson.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            \u201cMeditation is a science, the systematic process of training the mind.\u201d \u2013 John Yates, Ph.D. By sophomore year of high school, it had become clear that my mind was completely out of control. After a series of car crashes resulting … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14458,"featured_media":63492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[210,6],"tags":[3644,62,4654,66,4629],"yoast_head":"\nTraining Your Mind with Meditation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meditation is a means of training your mind. 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