It’s just that the approach so often taken is cumbersome and limiting. The oft heard strategies to try observe the breath, or silence the mind, or listen to calming music, whilst effective to a certain degree, lose their effectiveness. They can often become boring as well.

People can often get tired of these and wonder what outcome they are trying to achieve. It seems the mind is the enemy and it has to be brought under control.

Well, really, one can’t and shouldn’t have to control one’s mind. In fact, one needs to befriend the mind for the process to become much easier, as if a river flowing calmly, even with it meandering hitting those rocks underneath and along both the banks.

We all know friendship involves give and take. Therefore, you have to reconcile and agree to work with the mind as a friend would. All our thoughts, emotions and feelings, do need their due respect and recognition. You don’t need to chase them or avoid them.

When a car rushes past, while you may notice it, you don’t have to really run after it or follow it stretching your neck to see where its going. Similarly, forcing yourself to not flow even slightly when it rushes past, would be a bit un-natural.

So when you sit for your meditation session, agree that you will neither be too interested, nor try to ignore too much of what’s going on in your life. You will try observe as a nonchalant observer would…a little respect, yet distant and relaxed.

I guarantee you, even within whatever strategy you may be using now, or as an incumbent into meditation, your 40 minutes or an hour will pass much quicker than usual.

Maybe close your eyes for a few minutes now and imagine the above. That you are sitting silently, eyes shut, in a comfortable position, and being an observer sitting a little further away from all that’s happening. Knowing, yet distant.

Phew!

Doesn’t it almost seem to have lifted some weight off your shoulders already?

Exactly, anything you try fight or escape, will chase you. Anything you let go, will leave you.

Another strategy you can use as you start your meditation session, is to imagine you have come into the cinema hall. The movie in front, is playing your life memories, desires, irritations, and other imagined scenes.

As you start your deep breathing, imagine you are sitting in the front row. All scenes are fresh and raw.

Imagine now getting up, coming out to move behind to row number 5. A little further away. The sound and scenes are still audible and clear.

Lets come out now and go to row number 25. Hmm, a little less audible, and more vague it seems.

Lets now go to row number 500. A long walk. Sit down. Look up. It seems now, the screen itself is so far away! Some silhouettes of figures and thoughts, no audio at all. Its quiet. Really really quiet.

Promise me, you will try the above technique. If you go through just the above exercise, I am sure almost 40 minutes would have passed before you even know it. An hour! And for a few of you, some of those really deep, silent, pauses will even begin to appear.

Try it 3–4 times. Document your progress. Is it getting better?

Lets try the above. I promise its going to get better. Keep reading. 🙂

In gratitude,

Gaurav