TED Conversations

Taylor Homa

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

How do you prepare your body and mind to meditate for ten minutes without feeling anxious?

Looking for ideas to help relax your body for ten minutes without feeling like your wasting time. I always think of the things I could accomplish when I am trying to meditate. Wondering how does one prepare their body to fully close off surrounding thoughts?

Related Talks:
+2
Share:
progress indicator

  • John Getty

    • +1
    Feb 8 2013: Make sure you can focus on your other parts before trying to focus thought, or the lack there of. Stare at a single thing in your immediate area. After doing so for a comfortable amount of time, close your eyes. Start listening, take note of everything you hear and try and envision your surroundings through only what you hear. Then notice your smell, what is in there air, and can you better understand your surroundings by the smell. Focus on what you feel. Where you are seated, focus on the 'feeling' of your backside on a chair or your feet on the ground. recognize there being no boundry when you do and everything flows together. Then bring your breathing in slowly. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, release for 4 seconds, and wait for 4 seconds. What are you thinking about?
  • thumb

    Gail . 50+

    • 0
    Feb 8 2013: I remember the feeling. But I put it away after I took a few minutes to see how many other chunks of time I wasted on the truly meaningless. When I compared that with what I heard that meditation could do for me, I realized that my time was not being wasted, but used constructively. I still use a timer most times. That way, knowing that this is what I am doing for this time, if a stray thought hits, it's easy enough let it go because I know that the timer will go off at the proper time. Then, when it goes off, I have a choice about whether to remain or not.
  • thumb

    Kate Blake 50+

    • 0
    Feb 8 2013: Hi Taylor, some good comments below.

    And Greg is right there are many types of meditation but I'd suggest ten minutes twice each day. It's a short time and if its spent busy with thoughts, being anxious, etc at least it will finish soon. If it is a good session it will end too quickly and you want to sit again.

    Most people have anxiety when they start as so many people are really shocked at how full of distracting 'garbage' our mind really is. So the anxiety is normal and healthy - you are doing it sincerely.

    Understanding the flow of our thoughts and emotions without allowing them to swamp us is the last unexplored frontier, don't ever think its a 'waste' of time! That is only another excuse to give up, we are habituated with such distractions. Persist and you will be pleasantly surprised.

    I'd suggest that you let that busyness, those thoughts or anxiety just drift through like clouds. Don't buy into them, dont give them any energy. Just let them come and go, watch that. Eventually they do slow down but it does take time and persistence as K says.

    Mark mentions a mantra, some people are given one, some make up their own, some use ancient Sanskrit ones. You can just say 'focus' or 'one' or 'calm', whatever works and has meaning for you.

    Good luck with this inspiring challenge ... Conquer that anxiety and busyness it is sincerely most rewarding!

  • george lockwood 30+

    • 0
    Feb 8 2013: Consider also autogenic training and any other type of self-hypnosis
  • thumb

    Mark Kurtz 20+

    • +1
    Feb 8 2013: Look on the Internet for Centering Prayer writings by Father Keating. He resurrected an ancient technique of using a secret word to help you return to a quiet mind, helping a person to empty the mind. You choose your secret word and use that to return to quietness of mind. The main point is rid the daily "trash" and business to allow new thoughts. He recommends 20 minutes and others here below offered good suggestions. Discipline and habit are vital and soon it becomes easier and normal.

    For meditation it is your thoughts that count and if a person is determined, dedicated, honest, and sincere, there will be benefits. Daily trash must get out of the way to unblock the possibilities.

    Why the anxiety? Is there fear of what could happen or a fear of not getting other things done? For each person the issues are different.

    Don't give up. Real leaders do listen at quiet time. Imagine the many places and projects that need good leaders!

    Worth spreading, this topic you have here!

  • greg dahlen 30+

    • 0
    Feb 7 2013: I have a broader view of meditation, where it would be acceptable to think about the things you want to accomplish after you finish meditating. In other words, meditation would mean slowing down and taking time to think, but nothing wrong with thinking about what you want to accomplish.
  • thumb

    Krisztián Pintér 200+

    • +1
    TED Translator
    Feb 7 2013: practice. stock answer for many things. just lay down, and if you start to feel anxious, control it, focus, remember that ten minutes is a short time, and you won't miss it, remember your causes, and be resilient. after some weeks, you will get better. many times there is no miracle solution. you just have to practice.
  • thumb

    Xavier Belvemont 30+

    • 0
    Feb 7 2013: .
    "I always think of the things I could accomplish when I am trying to meditate."

    I usually like to throw a new card into the ring when I can, so heres one for today...

    Maybe you don't need to. Perhaps you're more inclined to be constructive, rather than doing nothing.
Showing all 8 comments