Meditation is a training of the mind. There are many ways to meditate, and many traditions, but I will focus on mindfulness meditation, which focuses on paying attention to the present moment in a nonjudgmental way and can help us in achieving a state of calm awareness. You may have noticed already that I am using words like training, awareness, and paying attention. All of these involve effort. Therefore, mindfulness meditation is not just like sitting in a relaxed position and… relaxing. It is a skill that is practiced and requires an active effort, and rather than requiring full relaxation, it requires full awareness, which is more like a state of alertness but without urgency or rush. And, if you’re practicing seated meditation, the invitation is to find a posture that is comfortable but still allows you to stay alert. You don’t want to be in a posture that makes you want to fall asleep, although if you do end up falling asleep during meditation, that is also okay. There are many misconceptions about meditation, and one of the biggest ones is that you are supposed to clear your mind or empty it of any thoughts, which is humanly impossible. Thoughts come in the form of words, pictures, observations, judgments, song lyrics, to-do lists, etc. And, while we can train the mind to remain present and achieve a state of mental clarity instead of mental clutter, we cannot actually clear the mind completely. The trick is to catch ourselves whenever we get distracted, and redirect our attention. However, seated meditation is not the only way to practice mindfulness meditation! Here are a few of my favorite ways to practice meditation when sitting still feels impossible:
Walking meditation
Take a walk outside, or find a room in your house to pace back and forth. Take each step slowly, one at a time, noticing the soles of your feet on the ground and the movement of your feet. Lift, step. Heel, toe, lift, step. Right, left…
And as you walk, breathe in and out mindfully, bringing your full awareness to the sensations of your breath and your body as it moves.
Washing dishes meditation
You can do this while loading the dishwasher too, but I find it to be more effective when I wash the dishes by hand. In this practice, you are bringing your five senses to the experience of dishwashing, hearing the sound of the water and the dishes, feeling the water on your skin and noticing its temperature, becoming aware of the smell of dish soap, and taking full inhales and exhales.
Shower meditation
You guessed it. Pay attention to the temperature of the water on your skin, washing each body part slowly and mindfully, paying attention to the circular or repetitive movements of the sponge, noticing your feet on the floor and the smell of the soap and shampoo, massaging your skull gently and noticing the sensations… It may be a slower shower, but it can be deeply relaxing and grounding. Just remember to be mindful of how much water you use!