Tag: wandering thoughts

8 Common Meditation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, Part 1

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A young woman with long brown hair is seated outdoors at a peaceful riverbank, her hands folded as if to meditate, but her brow is furrowed.

There are many scientific benefits of meditation, including stress relief, increased self-awareness, and even a longer lifespan! However, without the proper meditation techniques, you may not be able to receive all of these benefits as you meditate. In part 1 of this 2-part series, get ready for a deep dive into just 4 common meditation mistakes and specific suggestions for how you can avoid them. 1. Holding onto Your Thoughts Meditation is a practice that allows you to clear your mind. Or, perhaps better said, it can allow you to allow your mind to clear.  Often, the chatty mind seems…

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…