Meditation Q & A
When I meditate my mind seems to become busier not calmer!
When you first start to meditate your mind will be very busy, and you might even feel that the meditation is making it busier; but in reality you are just becoming more aware of how busy your mind actually is. By practicing meditation patiently you can gradually calm this mental busyness and discover true mental peace.
Sometimes during meditation I become drowsy
If this happens, first try to tighten your concentration a little. If this does not work, open your eyes slightly to let more light in, and if this does not work temporarily suspend the meditation, open your eyes and look around the room at shiny objects or sunlight. When your mind feels more alert, resume your meditation.
No sooner does my mind find the object of meditation, than it loses it!
Training your mind to hold an object such as the breath in meditation is like a mother training her baby to hold a ball. At first when the mother hands the baby the ball the baby will drop it. But if the mother perseveres, gradually the baby’s grip will get stronger and eventually the baby will be able to hold the ball tightly.
In the same way, when we first start to meditate, the mind quickly drops its object and thinks of something else instead. The key to successful meditation is to be aware whenever this happens and bring the object of meditation back to mind. Eventually,through the force of familiarity, the mind will get a firm grip on it.
I enjoy meditation, but my experience quickly fades when I finish
Meditation does not end when we rise from the meditation seat. In the broadest sense, meditation is familiarizing your mind with a positive object, and we can do this at any time. Before rising from a meditation session it is important to make a determination not to lose the experience of inner peace.
Even though this experience will fade, if from time to time you actively recall it, gradually your mind will become more familiar with it and the experience will remain longer. Eventually it will remain in your mind day and night, growing stronger with each meditation.