04 Apr Think You Can’t Meditate?

You say you can’t meditate.  Perhaps you don’t know how, or you’ve tried to sit down and quiet your mind and instead all you heard was your thoughts pounding on the inside of your skull so loudly they could have been snare drums. You avoid it…its not for you.  You’ve heard its good for your health, you know it would be nice to relax, but you know for SURE that you can’t meditate.  Meditation is for people in white clothes and turbans, who live peaceful lives without stress.  (Ha! If only you could see me laughing!)  You’re certainly not alone in your trepidation, but you don’t have to feel skittish around meditation.  You can meditate.  Everyone can, with practice.

Meditation is simply a form of concentration.  It is a paradox in being both a deliberate action, and often the practice of non-action, simultaneously.  It can be learned, and it can most definitely be learned better.  Just as you get better at basketball or mathematics with practice, so too does your mind become more accustomed to meditation.

If you think you can’t meditate, there is a simple Kundalini yoga technique to get yourself started.  About this meditation, it is said that you can learn to control your reaction to any situation and can bring centeredness to ANY mind, not matter how scattered or cluttered.

Even better, it is easy and free.  You can start at any time. Ready?

Here’s a simple meditation technique for when you think you can’t meditate.

Listen to Your Heartbeat

Sit comfortably with a straight spine.  For most people, this means easy pose, but if that is beyond your body’s ability, or if it creates such tension in your hips and lower back as to distract you, try sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.  The important part is to keep your spine straight so the energy can flow.  With the four fingers of your right hand, feel the pulse in your left wrist.  Your fingers should not press down too hard, just place them there lightly, so that you can feel a heartbeat with each of your four fingertips.  By using all four fingers, you are activating internal energies of wisdom, vitality, health and communication.    Your eyes should be lightly closed and focused at the brow point (the spot between your eyebrows).  On each beat of your heart, mentally hear the sound “Sat Nam”.  On the pulse out as the heart contracts, hear “Sat” and as the heart releases and contracts hear “Nam”, so the Sat Nam, Sat Nam of your heart beat becomes clear.  Sat means Truth.  Nam means vibration or name.  By meditating on this mantra, you connect your heartbeat to the vibration of truth.

Simply focus on your heartbeat for 11 minutes. When your attention wanders, and it will at first, bring it back to hearing “Sat Nam” on the heartbeat. And surprise!  You’ve just meditated.  Now there, that wasn’t too painful, was it? (And yes, if you can’t hit 11…then start with 3 and work your way up!)