Meditation for HeadBangers


Meditation typically brings to mind images of sitting in full lotus on a mountain top somewhere, head in the clouds, a slight levitation visible.

Ever meet anyone that's done that?

meditate_sky.jpg
pic by pureenergy

No, me either.

Fortunately, if you step back & look at meditation as a concept, it's really just aiming to do two things:

  1. Empty your brain of thoughts (you remember those, they're the things that are not-you)
  2. Bring you into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness

This is pretty much the description of flow. Any athlete in peak performance has that. In fact, any peak performer, in any area, is in that state.

No thoughts, no noise, just pure beingness.

If you're anything like me, you've heard great things about meditating. Sat down, tried it, & given up due to distraction. Or, you know, found something more important that urgently needed doing.

So what's the trick?

Well, to start with, yep, it can be hard. Thoughts swirl around us like dust in a tornado. We're assailed from every direction. It can seem damn near impossible.

Here's a trick though. Who said you have to be sitting still to meditate? Try going for a walk, or a run — or just sit & jiggle your leg if you're feeling lazy. That's fine too.

Second, who said you have to be quiet? It's your mind that you're trying to get to shut up.

So, how about this. Get some music you really like. Preferably stuff without words — you don't want to be putting new thoughts into your mind. Preferably reasonably fast — otherwise your brain may (will!) start wandering in the gaps.

For me, I'm a fan of high bpm (beats-per-minute) dub, drum & bass, and other electronica. It has a regular rhythm, which means you can kind of tune it out, but it's fast enough that it drowns out most of what's going on upstairs.

Crank it up loud & start walking, running, or jiggling.

You'll find the music & movement will swamp most of your thoughts. This is a great start. It just makes it easier to see any remaining thoughts that peep out from above the noise.

Now, what to do when you do catch yourself drifting off? Well here's the trick.

Just pay attention. When you see thoughts arising, bring your focus back to the music (or the exercise). Let the thought go. You can always worry about it later, turn it into a haiku or scribble it on a balloon & fling it to the wind.

Each time your brain starts burbling away, get back into the music. You did choose loud music you absolutely adore, right? Well, that'll make it easier.

stage_dive.jpg
(be sure to stretch before attempting this super-advanced meditational asana)
pic by juljo

As an added benefit? It'll make you happier. Less crap going on upstairs, listening to music that makes your heart beat that little bit faster, endorphins pouring through your body…

Besides, you can always sit still & just breathe when you reach the top of the hill.

ps. If you're keen to try some other non-standard techniques for stilling the mind, my good friend Dhrumil has an excellent 15min audio on "Falling Still" (or if you prefer, a 20 min video). Then there's always those old saw-horses EFT & releasing, of course — to get rid of specific thought patterns. Or, you know, just try all of it & see what works for you.

related

04/Apr/2009 | health
life |
  • http://www.TheMindsetApprentice.com Sean Patrick Simpson

    Hey Si,

    Great post. Meditation is such an interesting concept that I believe you're right, a lot of people imagine it to be sitting on a mountain top in a white robe saying "OHMMMMMMMM". Though I know the benefits of meditating, even still I sometimes have a tough time getting myself to do it.

    It's a great reminder to consider meditating in different ways, such as while walking.

    One thing I feel is really important to mention though is that there is a misconception about meditation, in that to meditate properly, thoughts have to be released. I thought meditation was only about clearing the mind as well, but then when I used the Holosync meditation technology, as well as studied there material, I found out that sometimes the deepest meditations can actually occur when there is lots of chaos going through the mind.

    …Okay, took me about 20 minutes to find it, but I had to share the article. I don't know where the original posting is from Holosync, but I found a copy posted on another blog. Search in google for "After many years of attempting to find a meditative practice" — Then click the 2nd result which should be titled "My Destiny" (I'm not giving the direct link because it might get flagged as SPAM).

    The 1st few paragraphs of that article is by the blog owner, and then the content I am referring begins where you see these words: “Be master of mind, rather than mastered by mind”

    Enjoy!

    –Sean Patrick Simpson
    **The Mindset Apprentice**

  • http://sidawson.org Si Dawson

    Hey Sean, nice to see you.

    I've been giving your comment a bit of thought over the last day or two. Trying to distill the essence of it.

    I think the point you're trying to make is that meditation does NOT have to just mean "quiet mind." Which is a very valid point — as evidenced by the brain scans (oh & links here are fine, you're logged in, so won't be flagged).

    There is something that's quite important, that you've kind of phrased into the middle of this discussion, & that is — letting go of thoughts.

    Even with the monk that had a noisy mind, she would have been, as the zen aphorism says "Treat your thoughts like clouds in the sky and just watch them go by."

    In my experience, that is THE most important thing. Everything else about meditating you can take or leave. The critical bit is letting go of those thoughts. However many thoughts you have, doesn't matter one jot. Just that you let go of them.. or at least, watch them go by.

    That's where the REAL benefits kick in. Why? Because that "letting go" is actually an energetic healing process — it's (more or less) basically the sedona method. & for that to work it doesn't matter whether you're doing it on a mountain or a nightclub.

  • http://web.me.com/sixfeetabove Dave

    Yes yes!
    The person that really kicked me into meditation and really helped me was Eckhart Tolle. Those images of clouds and so on really don't help me, but I can wrap myself around the kind of theories and concepts that he talks about. The action of observing the mind, and thus associating yourself with the space of separation as opposed to the thoughts. This idea of identification, for me, was the most important key. What YOU identify with, unconsciously, dictates so much of your energy. Once you direct your attention to that very idea of identity, it becomes a lot easier to create the space.

  • http://sidawson.org Si Dawson

    Absolutely. So true.

    It's — as I wrote back, that discovery that you're not your thoughts.

    &, as you discovered — it's really about finding something that works for you — regardless of what anyone else uses.

  • Aimoss

    Hi there!
    Have you tried Holosync?
    I really enjoy using it as a tool to aid my meditation.
    So happy to have found your blog it is really inspirational — you use the same techniques as I do EFT & Releasing. Glad to see they are working for you too!
    Best wishes
    Aimee

  • http://sidawson.org Si Dawson

    I gave holosync a brief go — for a few days.. but seemed that it was going to be a VERY long slow process (years), & I was doing ok with eft/releasing etc. Pretty interesting concept though, & I do still listen to binaural beat tracks from time to time.

    You're dead right about EFT+releasing being a great combo together. Releasing while tapping, or tapping while releasing — it's all great stuff.

    I've also found throwing reiki into the mix (which basically just means opening a massive tube to the heavens, drawing a ton of energy down & using that to flush out your body) really helpful — particularly with the releasing stuff. Gives you a nice little boost.

    Way I figure it, anything that helps, that seems to resonate for you personally..well, that's gotta be good, right? :)

  • http://www.angelguidedjourneys.com/ Sacred Site

    An examination of scientific studies acknowledged relaxation, attentiveness, an altered state of alertness, a suspension of logical thought and the preservation of a self-observing attitude as the behavioral components of meditation; it is accompanied by a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that altermetabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry.

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