Sometimes, we refer to my son as “Monkey.” He can be wild and unpredictable and swings from tree branches (OK, one of those may be embellished…). He is 2 1/2 and more energetic than I ever imagined him to be. This week, we started a Parent-Tot sports class. One of the activities was for the kids to hold a football and weave in and out of these little cones as they ran.
The first time, I guided him through the first few and then he just sprinted straight over them because #finishline. The second time, I tried holding his shoulders gently the whole time and he did it, albeit clumsily, as my movements were not in congruence with his intention to barrel through. The third time, I decided to let him run as he wished (he’s two after all). And you know what? He weaved around each cone. All on his own.
My mind can be like my two-year-old. When I sit down to meditate, it doesn’t usually maneuver through the meditation in the way I had envisioned before sitting down. Today, it pinged from yoga class planning to an email I wrote yesterday to BREATHE LINDSAY to how heavy my arms felt to blogging to how soon will the kids be up? to BREATHE LINDSAY to … you get the idea. My mind was busy, swinging from one thing to the next.
This monkey-mind experience during meditation is common. And I know it’s a reason so many of us believe meditation “just isn’t for me.” But consider a goal you’ve set for yourself in the past. Whether it’s a 5K, a thriving garden, or a new skill or hobby, did it happen overnight? Or even within the first few tries? Not likely.
Meditation is a practice. The goal is not to sit like Rafiki for 8 hours. The general goal for most of us is to improve your life. Which happens when we can face a challenging situation and choose to softly breathe instead of reacting out of habit. Which happens when we can calm the crazy between our ears for long enough to recognize a peaceful space between thoughts. And how do we get these things to happen? By practicing. Meditation is simply the warm-up!
So if you’ve tried it once or a hundred times (or maybe not at all because you predict you’ll be “bad” at it)…and you’ve felt discouraged because you weren’t all zen and sh*t from the get-go, reframe your brain! You’re just training for those moments of frustration that arise on the daily…like when your little Monkey wakes early from his nap and is super cranky……on that note….
Love. Always.
Linds