Enjoy Your Busy Brain (Part 3): Pull Out the Thorns and Tune Up

In meditation, give yourself a LOT of time to get used to the tension-relaxation-tension-relaxation cycle.

It often feels like pulling out the thorns, so go easy on yourself. Resist the temptation to say things like, “This isn’t helping; it’s making me worse!” (Although it’s easy to feel that way at first.)

I once had a whole series of vaccinations before traveling in equatorial Africa, and some of them made me feverish for days. But it’s a hell of a lot better than getting the full-blown disease.

In meditation and in life, it’s better to pull out the thorns than leave them to fester!

And it’s better to give your body a chance to explore more elegant ways of dealing with stress, rather than staying in Alarm Mode for long periods of time.

As you can see, meditation is NOT one single state, but rather a continually changing inner-theater of quiet/explosive/erotic/placid/turbulent intensity, in which each breath brings drama, catharsis, rebirth—and yes, even healing.

Take time to tune up.

Meditation feels different each time you do it.

Each breath, each moment of meditation is different from the next as your body rests up, revitalizes itself, and tunes up for action.

The more you cooperate with this process, the more the vaccination quality we discussed above will work for you.

You will become more skilled at handling the stresses you are facing; be they long hours, aches and pains, too many tasks to juggle, or a medical condition.

Should you find a moment to meditate each day, you will soon realize that here -- at last -- is the deepest quality of rest you have ever experienced. And as your body gets used to it, you will feel yourself healing very gently and gradually, on a deep level.

Enjoy Your Busy Brain (Part 2): Don’t Try to Make Your Mind Blank!

If there’s one golden piece of advice in meditation it’s this: Meditation is definitely not one monotonous state of inner blankness!

Even though everyone wants the brain to shut up during meditation, it almost never happens. Rather, meditation is a dynamic condition of relaxation and tension, inner peacefulness and excited musings about work and love.

When I ask people why they have quit meditating, the most common response I get is, “I just couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t make my mind blank.” They admit that yes, they felt relaxation, and yes, they felt better afterward, but all that inner noise -- that can’t be right, can it?

Learn new, more powerful responses to stress.

This play of opposites that occurs in meditation reminds me of the way vaccinations work.

When you get a vaccination, you take into your body a weakened form of a virus or bacteria -- and your immune system learns to fight it.

In meditation, the mind-body system instinctively enters a deep state of safety and relaxation, and then replays portions of what is stressing you -- so that you can learn new, more elegant, more adaptive, more powerful responses.

For example, in meditation you might find yourself replaying an argument you had with a loved one. You may experience snatches of conversation, the memory of muscular tension, and all the other aspects of what you feel emotionally and physically when stressed.

And then -- and here is the beauty of meditation -- you may spontaneously explore new and better ways of handling similar situations. You will actually get better at coping with stress!

This happens whether you want it to or not, for it’s an aspect of the body’s adaptation and spontaneous self-healing.

If you have a rich and full life, your brain is going to be very busy in meditation. This is good!

Enjoy Your Busy Brain (Part 1): Why Do I Have so Many Thoughts in Meditation?

During meditation, the brain is very busy!

At the same time, however, you may experience a great deal of relaxation and repose. The paradox is: you can’t relax without letting go of tension ... and in letting go of tension you remember all the things you were tense about.

Relaxation, tension, relaxation, tension.

Whatever thoughts, sensations, or emotions you have been holding back by staying tense are suddenly free to flood your awareness -- and be dealt with. Meditation is a highly alert state, and so you often find yourself shifting every few seconds between delicious rest and anxiety, until your system works out just the right balance between ease, excitement, and alarm.

This is what makes meditation ideal for managing the challenges in your life, including your relationships and your health.