{"id":991,"date":"2022-02-07T17:10:47","date_gmt":"2022-02-07T18:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=991"},"modified":"2022-03-02T07:37:16","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T07:37:16","slug":"the-meditators-guide-to-a-distraction-free-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/the-meditators-guide-to-a-distraction-free-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"The Meditator\u2019s Guide to a Distraction-Free Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Meditation is a fantastic way to improve focus and concentration throughout the day. But what if you can\u2019t focus while<\/em> you\u2019re meditating? Then consider yourself normal. \u201cThe mind was built to be distractible,\u201d says Amishi Jha, PhD<\/a>, a professor of psychology at the University of Miami and author of Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>\u201cWe mind wander about 35 to 50 percent of our waking moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Racing thoughts, however, aren\u2019t the only interruptions that can impinge upon your daily practice. Whether it\u2019s noisy neighbors, stomach gurgles, itchy skin, or blaring horns outside your window, distractions are everywhere.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re seeking a more peaceful and effective practice, these 5 expert tips can help calm the internal\u2014and external\u2014noise.<\/p>\n

Time it right. <\/strong>A few quiet minutes of morning meditation are a great way to ground yourself before a busy day. But morning isn\u2019t the ideal time for everyone. \u201cFor some people, meditating in the morning will create many distractions because they\u2019re busy thinking about everything they need to accomplish during the day ahead,\u201d says Jonathan Lehmann<\/a>, a meditation instructor with Insight Timer<\/em><\/a> and creator of The Happiness Cheatsheets<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> If that sounds familiar, consider meditating after you\u2019ve checked off a few boxes on your to-do list or perhaps in the afternoon or evening.  <\/p>\n

Pre prep. <\/strong>Creating a calm, serene space can go a long way toward minimizing distractions. \u201cIf you live with other people, let them know that you\u2019ll be taking some time to meditate and that you\u2019ll be unavailable for a while,\u201d advises Lehmann. You may also want to dress for the occasion by wearing comfy clothes. Then, take a minute to set your thermostat so that it\u2019s not too hot or too cold. If digestive sensations or sounds are an issue, consider meditating on an empty stomach or before drinking digestion-stimulating coffee or tea.<\/p>\n

Find the right position. <\/strong>You might have heard that the best way to practice is sitting cross-legged on the floor. Not if it\u2019s torture for your back or knees. \u201cThe ideal position is one where you\u2019re both alert and relaxed, so it helps to be upright,\u201d says Lehmann. \u201cBut you also don\u2019t want to be too stiff, so finding the right cushion or using a meditation bench can help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be mindful. <\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019s natural to want to push distracting thoughts out of your head but attempting to fight or ignore distractions is unlikely to be fruitful,\u201d says Jha. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not part of mindfulness meditation, which aims to cultivate attention to the present moment experience without elaborating or reacting.\u201d Instead of seeking to banish intrusive thoughts, briefly acknowledge the interruption and then redirect your focus back to your practice.<\/p>\n

Enlist an anchor. <\/strong>An anchor is a point of focus where you can direct your attention. For example, the sensation of your breath flowing in and out of your nose, the movement of your belly when you inhale and exhale, or the sound of a flickering candle. Next time you can\u2019t stop thinking about that big deadline or how you have to pick up the kids from school in 20 minutes, don\u2019t stress about it. Simply bring your attention back to your anchor, says Lehmann.<\/p>\n

Finally, try to think about distractions from a fresh perspective. \u201cDistractions are part of the exercise,\u201d says Lehmann. \u201cThe whole process of meditation is to observe these thoughts without letting our attention get caught up in them.\u201d <\/p>\n

Jha agrees. \u201cWhen you notice that your mind is wandering, see it as a win instead of a failure,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019ll never be able to get back on track if you don\u2019t know when you\u2019re off track.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post The Meditator’s Guide to a Distraction-Free Practice<\/a> appeared first on Fitbit Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If your mind races in a thousand different directions when you sit down to practice, these tips can help you stay centered.
\nThe post The Meditator\u2019s Guide to a Distraction-Free Practice appeared first on Fitbit Blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[20,1,21,22,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/991"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=991"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":994,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/991\/revisions\/994"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}