01-24-2011, 11:01 PM
I have precisely the same problems, Kindle. I gave up on meditation for a long time. Something Carla once said really got me thinking to the point that I now meditate every morning.
What she said, and this resonates with me, is that the attempt is what matters. I tell myself, no matter whether I achieve a satisfactory meditation or not, this time of my day is dedicated to being open to this experience, whether or not it satisfies me. If I don't achieve a sufficient meditative state, so be it. If I spend the whole time thinking about Justin Bieber, so be it. The important point is that I'm there, and I'm not giving up, and I'll wait as long as it takes (hopefully).
This is one aspect in which I am trying working through the Lovers archetype: to court the subconscious as one would the maiden, instead of to view the subconscious as a harlot. She doesn't just give it up to you; you have to romance and woo her, earn her respect and love, understand her ways and conform to them. You have to build a relationship with your deep mind. I am learning to wait for the subconscious to accept me, to listen to it when it talks rather than simply look for it at times when it is convenient for me. It's tough because I'm really easily distracted and impatient, and I want a immediate payoff for my work of concentration.
Sometimes I feel like the metaphor for my meditation is John Cusack desperately holding a boom box over his head outside his high school sweetheart's house.
One practical tip I can give is that when I sit down to meditate, I don't start right away. Sometimes I'll just sit with my eyes open and think all the thoughts I'm thinking. I wait for my mind to slow down, I do sort of a pre-meditation. Then, when I think I'm ready, I say a little affirmation and go into it. This helps tremendously; it's not perfect, I still have fleeting thoughts, but it cuts down on them quite a bit. The chattering mind eventually spins itself out.
Good luck and thanks for bringing this up! I'm reading the replies with interest.
What she said, and this resonates with me, is that the attempt is what matters. I tell myself, no matter whether I achieve a satisfactory meditation or not, this time of my day is dedicated to being open to this experience, whether or not it satisfies me. If I don't achieve a sufficient meditative state, so be it. If I spend the whole time thinking about Justin Bieber, so be it. The important point is that I'm there, and I'm not giving up, and I'll wait as long as it takes (hopefully).
This is one aspect in which I am trying working through the Lovers archetype: to court the subconscious as one would the maiden, instead of to view the subconscious as a harlot. She doesn't just give it up to you; you have to romance and woo her, earn her respect and love, understand her ways and conform to them. You have to build a relationship with your deep mind. I am learning to wait for the subconscious to accept me, to listen to it when it talks rather than simply look for it at times when it is convenient for me. It's tough because I'm really easily distracted and impatient, and I want a immediate payoff for my work of concentration.
Sometimes I feel like the metaphor for my meditation is John Cusack desperately holding a boom box over his head outside his high school sweetheart's house.
One practical tip I can give is that when I sit down to meditate, I don't start right away. Sometimes I'll just sit with my eyes open and think all the thoughts I'm thinking. I wait for my mind to slow down, I do sort of a pre-meditation. Then, when I think I'm ready, I say a little affirmation and go into it. This helps tremendously; it's not perfect, I still have fleeting thoughts, but it cuts down on them quite a bit. The chattering mind eventually spins itself out.
Good luck and thanks for bringing this up! I'm reading the replies with interest.