Meditation 101: I Can't Clear My Mind, Can I Still Meditate?

Hi,

I'm Keziah Gibbons.

My pronouns are she and her.

I'm a meditation professional and today we're going to look at one of the biggest blocks to people starting or trying a meditation practice.

So I've talked to a lot of people over the years and taught different types of meditation and different contexts and this question comes up a lot.

You might have someone who's interested in trying meditation or who's seen the research on how beneficial meditation can be,

But they feel that it's not for them because they don't find it easy to clear their mind.

There are three solutions or answers to this problem.

The first is that meditation is a really broad term for many,

Many different types of practice.

And most of them don't require you to clear your mind at all.

There are literally hundreds,

Probably thousands of different types of meditation.

So I won't go into them all here,

But I will split them into two broad areas,

Active and passive meditation.

So active meditation might be something where you're directing your attention,

Breath,

Energy movements or imagination in some way.

Your mind doesn't have to be clear and doesn't get bored because you're giving it something to do.

More passive meditation might be about observing sensations,

Thoughts or emotions and your own internal responses to them.

After just a few weeks practicing like this.

You can get to a point where you're noticing your responses or reactions without judgement.

And further down the line,

You might notice without reacting at all.

Which can be and feel very empowering but it does take a bit of practice.

Which brings us to answer number two.

If you really do want to learn to clear your mind,

Remember that this is a skill and skill takes practice.

Babies aren't born with language,

But it doesn't mean they're not capable of communicating with language.

They just haven't learned it yet.

Someone doing their first couch to 5K might give up if they expected themselves to be able to run 5K the first time they get off the couch.

But that doesn't mean that with training their body they can't develop the skills and capacities.

And lots of people who start with a couch to 5K go on to run marathons.

So why would you expect yourself to be able to clear your mind immediately if it's something you've never practiced?

Research shows that meditation practices can rewire our brains in a really short time,

As little as a few weeks,

But that does require some commitment to practice.

So whatever meditation type you choose,

If you don't find yourself getting it straight away,

Go easy on yourself.

Give yourself a bit of time to try it out.

Eight weeks is the gold standard for committing to a specific meditation practice.

But as I mentioned,

There are so many different types of meditation.

So you might want to try eight different meditation practices for a week at a time.

And this will be long enough to give you an idea of what works for you.

And which is most closely aligned with what you're trying to achieve,

Whether it's the stereotypical mind clearing,

Or just greater focus,

Improved emotional regulation,

Better sleep.

Or more confidence or trust in yourself.

And that's the third answer I have for you.

Yes,

Meditation practices consistently offer really good results in all of these areas.

But it is worth thinking about why you want to try a meditation.

Is there a particular outcome you want to achieve to do with your own health or happiness?

Or do you just feel like you should do meditation because of a general feeling that it's good for you or perhaps from external messages?

Because fact is,

You're an adult and you have free will.

And if you're clear on what benefit or benefits you'd like to receive from practicing meditation,

And you've tried half a dozen different types of meditation consistently and you don't like it,

You don't have to do it.

There may be something else that brings you joy or peace or a sense of meaning and purpose in life.

That contributes to your personal growth and that you'd rather be doing.

You don't need my permission,

But in case you want it,

Here it is.

You're free to choose how you spend your time.

Enjoy that freedom.

I hope that you will try one or several meditation practices and find the one that really does something for you.

But the great thing about life is that people change.

It may be that these practices aren't for you now.

Having had the experience of them.

When there comes a time in your life that they would be helpful,

You'll know what it is you need to come back to.

In summary.

You don't have to be able to clear your mind to meditate.

If clearing your mind is your objective,

It's a skill and you can learn it with practice.

There are lots of different meditation practices and you may well find something which changes your life.

If you don't,

Don't worry.

Your experience is valid and if you know what you are hoping to achieve with meditation,

You can explore other ways of achieving that same goal.

I hope this was helpful and I've recommended some other resources in the description.

Thank you for your time and presence.

I wish you a wonderful rest of your day.