If you tried meditating without any success, you’re not alone.
Meditating can be incredibly difficult if you live a chaotic and fast-paced life. Expecting your mind to go from thinking about 100 different things per minute to a complete halt is a lot to ask.
But don’t give up. Everyone can train their minds to support meditation practice, you just need to know how.
This article explains some simple steps to follow while meditating and some tips to help you train your brain to be more receptive to meditation.
With patience, an open mind, and some persistence, you can change the way your brain works and enjoy all the benefits of meditation.
How to Train Your Brain to Support Meditation Practice
It’s important to be aware that your brain is a muscle. You need to train it to meditate, just as you need to train other muscles in your body to perform better.
You may have to make small incremental gains to reach the end goal. You can’t get large muscles without adding small gains over time. As long as you’re invested for the long-term, it’s perfectly achievable.
Start with Small Steps and Make Incremental Gains
Trying to go from thinking about several things at once to clear your mind for meditation won’t come easy. Instead, start out with smaller steps to get to the point where you can meditate with a clear mind.
Try to start unwinding for 10-15 minutes before trying to meditate. Find somewhere quiet and get comfortable, but don’t focus on meditating. Instead, just relax. Start focusing your mind on your breathing.
You can close your eyes after a few minutes and try to meditate if you feel like you’re ready. If not, just repeat this process until you notice you made progress.
5 Steps to Train Your Brain to Meditate Through Meditation
If you can relax but can’t get into a clear-thinking, meditative state, the best way to train your brain to meditate is to follow a good meditation practice on a regular basis and not to force it.
There is no one way to meditate. Everyone finds a process that works best for them over time. If you’re new to meditating, here are the basic steps to follow that will train your brain to meditate:
Step 1 – Find a quiet and comfortable environment. It’s important you start in a quiet place without distractions. Some people like to lie down while others sit.
Step 2 – Once you’re comfortable, gently close your eyes and you should start to feel your body relaxing.
Step 3 – Focus on your breathing. Being able to focus on your breathing is vital for successful meditation. It enables you to focus on your body and helps you let go of your thoughts.
Step 4 – Use a guided track or mantra if necessary. Remember, there is no one way to meditate. Some people find using audio helpful. Others prefer to meditate with just the sound of their own breathing.
Step 5 – Practice persistence. Any form of training takes time and persistence, and meditation is no different. Set a time slot each day and stick to it.
Try Using Affirmations
Using affirmations is a powerful way we can change habits and achieve goals we didn’t think possible, both mentally and physically. Whenever you repeat a sentence out loud, you say an affirmation. They work because the more you repeat these words, the more you influence your subconscious mind and change your core belief system.
You can use affirmations to help train your brain. Simply write down a couple of affirmations that will aid this, such as:
- I clear my thoughts and focus when meditating.
- I reach a deep state of relaxation when meditating.
- I focus on breathing and block out distractions when meditating.
Repeat your affirmations daily. You’ll feel a profound effect over time as you condition your brain to be more receptive to meditating.
In Conclusion – Set a Goal and Work Toward It
The techniques covered in this article will work, but you can lose them without a clear goal to work toward.
On a piece of paper, jot down your affirmations, how often you’ll meditate, for how long, and your end goal. With a clear path, you can achieve your goal.
It’s just a matter of training.