…squirrel !…..

Cannot meditate?

06/08/19 19:24 Filed in: Pedagogy

Student: "I can't meditate."
Me: "Why not."
Student: "When I try to meditate, there are too many thoughts in my head."
Me: "Where did you expect your thoughts to be?"

The act of meditation does not require the perfection of a still mind. Meditation is the process of becoming aware...aware of the mind...aware of thoughts...aware of awareness itself. The process has so many benefits that listing them would be a distraction.

Are you aware that you are being distracted by your thoughts? Congratulations! You are meditating.

Believing that you can't meditate because of your thoughts is like believing that you can't listen to music because of all the notes.

Do you find that focusing is more difficult if you don't get enough sleep and exercise? Congratulations! You've discovered one reason why martial arts became so popular with monks. Another reason is that the right kind of martial art practice can provide an effective kind of biofeedback for meditators. "Is my mind clear?" *whack* "Apparently not."

Of course, martial art practice doesn't need to be painful, and neither does meditation. There are many types of training that are suitable for different personality types, and for people with different mental and physical characteristics.

- Ian Sinclair

P.S.

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Sinclair Martial Arts

Cannot meditate?