Have you been on edge, maybe feeling a little down lately? Are you frustrated trying to find peace? Much of what triggers these emotions is due to the thought loops that cycle through our awareness. These thoughts are constantly in motion—yet we only notice a handful throughout the day. When we do, these thoughts can trigger a pattern of reactions that takes us away from the eternal present, the now.
Thought loops repeat over and over and can show up when triggered by our feelings. This can make it very challenging to quiet the mind. Further, these sequences of thought can make it difficult to meditate as they wreak havoc on our physical and emotional bodies.
Many perceive the brain as being the location of the mind. In the tradition of yoga philosophy, the brain is seen as having a single very important job but it may be different than what you were taught. It is likely that you imagine the brain’s duty is to keep you healthy and happy, but it is not. The brain’s job is to be sure that we survive.
We yogis perceive there to be a singular mind and that each of us is connected to this cohesive source of infinite information. This is where the idea of downloading from a cosmic source originates. In this paradigm we believe that all people have equal opportunity to tap into the extraordinary unified mind where ideas can be extracted and creativity sparked.
I imagine you are asking why you are not receiving the same information as others? This has to do with your dharma, your nature, and your unique path in this life which is an accumulation of many, many lifetimes of experiences. These experiences generate thoughts to us as we navigate and negotiate day to day life.
As human-beings we respond to the world around us through our physical senses. These reactions trigger emotions which can cloud our thinking and make it extremely difficult to process clearly. Each emotional reaction requires us to make a choice. This is what sets a thought loop into motion.
The brain communicates to us in images from the words that form as a result of perceptive functions. This is true even if you are not aware of the visualization. As words spill forth in circling loops we find ourselves caught in a swirling spiral of challenging emotions. These can elevate us or flush our feelings into a deep sink-hole.
How do we stop the wheel and get off?
Learning how to master the mind and shut off its chatter is what I see as one of the most frustrating things about meditation students encounter. Often one of their first hang-ups is imagining that meditation is a destination. It is not. Meditation is a state of being where we disappear from our sense of the physical.
The states of meditation, trance, and sleep are closely related with regards to patterns of brainwaves. Your brain has the potential to naturally enter a trance state every 90 seconds. This is how a skilled hypnotherapist can draw you in and hypnotize you.
Have you ever tried to get someone’s attention when they are deeply involved in watching something on TV or playing a video game? Perhaps you have walked in front of them and stood between them and the screen trying? Did they see you? You likely had to make quite a commotion to get their attention. You might have given up. This is because they were hypnotized by the TV and enjoying a chemical release of dopamine.
Thinking that guided meditation is meditation itself is the most common misconception I encounter. Guided meditation is creative visualization and very similar to hypnotherapy techniques. The most potent style of guided meditation is Yoga Nidra. Nidra means sleep. It does not mean meditation.
This is a great choice for people who are sleep-deprived and this is why I am often asked, “Why do I fall asleep when I am listening to guided meditation?”
My answer is that this is okay. If you fall asleep practicing guided meditation you were exhausted to begin with. I recommend to all of you that you allow yourself to sleep when this happens until you feel energized. The amount of time this takes depends on your lifestyle, and your level of wellness. If this happens to you, I suggest setting a gentle alarm before you begin a practice session if you only have a set amount of time.
A good 20 to 45 minute session of guided meditation can give your body and mind the sensation and full rested feeling of four hours of deep sleep. You can find many from me on the Insight Timer app. The more you practice, the better you will feel.
Once you fill up your depleted reserves you can then begin to try a form of seated meditation. This can rejuvenate you equally once you learn to completely empty the mind.
Guided Meditation is a trusted stepping stone to begin with however I want you to please understand that anytime we are listening to a voice, music of any sort, or watching a video we are entertaining the mind.
It is true that mind-entertainment can launch us into a trance state but then be honest—do you experience these symptoms of truly clearing the mind and finding yourself in the state of meditation?
The five symptoms of the meditative state
1. You do not know what time it is.
2. You do not know what day it is.
3. You do not know that you have a name.
4. You do not know you have a gender.
5. You do not know that you are in a body.
In the deep trance state of meditation we are in an ocean of Oneness. The perceived reality we were attached to disappears and we merge with the true energy of all that is.
Guided meditation can launch us into the meditative state however I find that my students gain the most success using techniques I teach them using the sound of their own voices and through the practices of pranayama which are yogic breathing exercises.
Here is the secret sauce
It is best to stay focused on relaxing. Forcing the mind and engaging it with a topic is exhausting. Just drift and float in the relaxed state of meditation once you feel it. Ultimately you will find that watching or listening to media is counterproductive. For now though, use it as a trusted step in the right direction.
Please stop trying to find information while you are trying to find the state of meditation. To find brilliant insights and gain information from your practice of meditation—and it is an on-going practice —is in the moment when you begin to come out of it. This is after you have been in the deep-trancestate when you begin to realize that you are in a body once again. At this time it is a good idea to keep the eyes closed. This is going to help you retain information that is flooding in. This is the moment when the brilliance happens, so be sure to have a journal near by to write everything down!
But then, you are now asking me, “What about the thought loops?”
We all have very individual needs when it comes to persistent thought loops. I prefer to address this privately in one on one sessions or with groups in a workshop setting. During this process I take you through a practice that maps out your present thought loop helping you to dive into it and return with a pearl of information that can annihilate future loops. This completely shifts your relationship with them for good!
Ambika Devi
Ambika Devi is an international award winning best-selling author, expert astrologer, meditation Jedi, speaker and storyteller on a peace mission to help you step out of the churning river of thoughts and activity of the mind, stop wearing insane schedules like badges of honor, and begin your days reinforced with the calmness a meditation practice brings. Visit her at:
AmbikasCoaching.com
