Tag: focus

5 Easy Ways to Stop Unwanted Thoughts in Meditation in 5 Minutes or Less

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A person with short hair and dangling earrings sits with eyes closed, thumb to forehead, fingers point upwards.The background appears to be a bedroom with white walls and soft sconce lighting.

When many people first begin a meditation practice, the biggest questions often circle around the logistics. How can I create a space of time to make a meditation practice? Do I have to do it every day? How long every day? How can I make it a regular habit? Will I be able to do it? These are all valid questions, and answering them becomes a highly individual experience. But there’s a bigger, more long-lasting challenge to growing your meditation practice. Nearly everyone grapples with this, not only in the early days of creating a practice but often during every…

You Get A Gold Star for Positive Self-Talk

A spray of of 20 gold star shapes attached to a branch-shaped wire. The background appears to be wood painted dark blue and sparkly silver.

You get a gold star for positive self-talk! Perhaps you’ve practiced mindfulness today, even for just a few seconds. Maybe you’ve reminded yourself to treat others, or yourself, with compassion and kindness in the midst of a struggle. It could be that you were really starting to stress out, and instead you took a deep breath and refocused your thoughts to a happy memory. Perhaps you even simply took the time to notice that you’re feeling stressed out, which even just a few months ago you weren’t able to do yet. These are all versions of positive self-talk. And if…

8 Common Meditation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, Part 2

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A young man is seated, fingers interlaced in front of his face as if to meditate. His eyes are open and he seems caught in thought. There are cardboard boxes in the background.

In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we explored 4 of the 8 most common mistakes people feel they make in their meditation practice. In this second half, we’ll look at 4 more common mistakes and how to fix them or avoid them all together. Plus, be sure to read to the end to discover the secret bonus mistake that’s super common yet can be fixed in less than 30 seconds. Yeah, less than 30 seconds!  Okay, onto the next common misstep people make in meditation. 5. Meditating at the Wrong Time Finding time to meditate, let alone the best…

7 Important Meditation Tips for Beginners Plus a Free Visualization for Everyone

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A young black woman wearing a dark colour sport bra. Her eyes are closed and the palm of her hands are in contact. She seems to be meditating.

Are you looking to start meditating? If so, would you like some useful meditation tips to get the most from it?  Some of the earliest records of meditating stretch back to 3500 BC. Many human civilizations have realized the benefits of meditation for several millenniums. Although historically the practice was more popular in the East. But in recent years, it has seen a major increase in participation by Westerners. Not only have celebrities raved about it, but massive corporations have encouraged it in the workplace. This is due to its major benefits including, stress relief and better mental well-being. Plus,…

How to Stop Random Thoughts During Meditation

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A beautiful early morning sky, with the sun breaking through the clouds in a halo of yellow, orange, pink and violet. At a far distance, 7 birds are in flight.

One of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that it will silence the mind. In fact, learning how to stop random thoughts during meditation has become the Holy Grail. But see, here’s the thing. If meditation could silence the mind, our entire planet would be cured of its many ills. Humanity would become cooperative. War would end. Suffering would cease. We would have utopia. The reality is, as you practice, you will have thoughts. That’s what the mind does – it has thoughts. Lots of thoughts. This includes ideas as well as emotional reactions to those ideas. Some thoughts are…