Do you know that Meditation is hard? A Few say that it is like trying to catch smoke. Many prefer not to do it or get vexed while doing it. Believe me, I was also one such person.
We live in a world of chaos. There are lots of distractions around us and our mind is constantly buzzing. We think that being busy all the time is a good sign. The problem here is our mind is busy all the time throwing us thoughts although if we could realistically assess our actions most of the time we might feel disappointed. In fact, our mind is so busy that we even forget to do important tasks that need our attention. If that tends to happen then it is time for us to calm down and ground ourselves.
Why mind is busy all the time?
When we multitask or take up or are assigned with more tasks than we can handle, the mind gets busy with thoughts. Nowadays one important reason for the mind to actively buzz and get distracted is over feeding of information especially via social media and other feeds. Mostly this does not involve active learning where we voluntarily try to learn something, this overthinking is because of passive learning of so many things (via social media feed, news, etc) which mostly does not help us in any way. There is a lot of input but no output.
If we take active learning we tend to use it or share it in some or the other way so there is an output or closure. The problem with passive learning is there is no closure.
Can Passive learning be helpful?
Yes, passive learning is helpful when used in combination with active learning. For example, when a student learns a particular concept via active learning, finding some additional material to understand its application or uses, reflecting on it is passive learning. Passive learning with purpose and combination with active learning is helpful.
When & Why is Passive learning unhelpful?
When we keep binge-watching media feeds that are thrown at us, our mind has difficulty processing them in the right way. Too much physical activity within a short span leads to fatigue similarly too much mental activity also leads to fatigue. When we actively learn we are aware of the fatigue however in passive learning we are not aware of it, this is somewhat similar to putting a frog in cold water and slowly boiling it.
How can we Manage this Overfeeding or Distraction?
We are now living in a world of distraction. Avoiding it consciously has become a cumbersome task for many. First, we need to prime our mind to develop self-control and build inner awareness. This is where the practice of meditation comes into place. Meditation is akin to an output mechanism in terms of mind. The more we meditate we tend to let go of thoughts that are not helpful to us because we tend to notice it in meditation.
If meditation is so helpful why many are not able to do it regularly?
Meditation is difficult because we do not get immediate results, unlike exercise. After exercise, we immediately feel good because of endorphins. However, it takes more than a month to see the effects of meditation, 3 months to really understand the benefits. If one wants patience and perseverance as a virtue then they can try making meditation a habit, the challenge here is if they miss it out they need to restart it again.
How to make meditation a habit?
Sometimes it is difficult to start meditating on your own. Mind is so active that at times one may feel as if they have failed in meditation. This lack of motivation is an obstacle to meditation. The truth is they have started to calm their mind, it takes consistency to reach that peace while meditating after a while. Understanding the truth can help one to overcome the obstacle. Meditation is a resilience-building tool. One can start with guided meditation especially Loving Kindness meditation later they can progress to meditating in silence if they wish to. Loving Kindness Meditation has been found to make remarkable changes in the mind and has been shown to build resilience.
I wish you could incorporate meditation in your life in small steps, starting with a short-term investment of 5 -10 minutes per day and reap the long-term benefits of it in your life.
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