Unvelcro Your Mind

Jeffrey Mindell

I like to meditate, but what that actually means probably depends on who you ask.  Ultimately, I think most would agree that meditation is about taking some silent time with oneself in order to quiet the mind.  Some think that you should have a chant or a mantra, others like to listen to relaxing music, and some like to sit in complete silence, but no matter what way you meditate, it is extremely difficult to quiet the mind completely for any length of time.

It's sort of comical that I can set aside some time to "meditate", when in reality I'm just sitting cross-legged in a candlelit room thinking about everything from what happened that day to what I have to do at work the next.  They say you should just observe the mind when that happens, but the mind is kind of like Velcro – the minute you start listening to it, it's got you.  To me, meditation is becoming aware of my thinking and to realize that my thoughts are not who I am.

So many of my thoughts are repetitive and unnecessary, and as my mind switches from subject to subject it often produces worry about a completely improbable future scenario.  For example, the other day I was meditating when I began to envision a frightening circumstance.  For a moment I was terrified while envisioning this event, until I realized that my mind had Velcroed me, and once again I began to observe my breathing and to feel the aliveness of my inner-body.

I know that some people who meditate feel that a successful meditation always results in perfect bliss. Perhaps my standards are too low, but I am happy with a meditation that consists of not taking my mind too seriously and a few scattered moments of silent calm. 

For those who have never attempted meditation and who plan on trying, I think it is important to realize that meditation is not about fighting the mind or beating it into submission.  That never works.  The best anyone can do is to observe the mind and not take it too seriously as it continually attempts to lure you into another thought stream.

However, there are those times, those rare times, when for whatever reason, the stars align and the mind quiets completely as you sit in gentle peace.  Like the golfer who effortlessly hits a 250-yard ball onto the center of the green; it doesn't happen often, but you're grateful when it does.  Regardless of whether that happens or not, spending any amount of time in silent reflection and observation is a wonderful thing, and can truly be life changing. 

Jeffrey Mindell is a poet, writer, lawyer and cartoonist, but not necessarily in that order.  He can be reached at jmindell@gmail.com