Meditations For Busy Minds

Hello and welcome to episode 317 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

This episode is all about meditations for people with busy minds and there’s a really big reason why I’m passionate about this particular topic. You see, back when I first started learning about mindfulness, I also tried a few different types of meditations. And I really didn’t like what happened whenever I tried to practice formal meditations!

As soon as I closed my eyes to try and focus on a meditation, my mind would just go totally haywire. Within seconds of starting a meditation, I’d be thinking about my relationships or work or cooking or cleaning or exercising or clothes. Just about anything except the meditation itself. And I kept getting so frustrated and upset because I wanted to develop a consistent meditation practice but every time I tried to meditate, I felt like a failure.

And so, at the time, I leaned away from formal meditations and instead practiced mindfulness in other ways, like mindful walking and creative mindfulness activities - anything that allowed me to avoid closing my eyes and trying to focus my attention.

However, I kept coming back to the idea of meditation. I tried different apps, I tried doing self-guided meditations, I went to a few classes (like yoga nidra). And even though I found a few helpful resources, I still felt like I really struggled with meditation.

In 2017, I decided to enrol in a course so I could learn more about meditation (and also how to teach it). Over the next year or so of studying, I really embraced my meditation practice, tried different things, and learned a lot! And it was awesome because I found a few things that worked really well for me and my busy mind.

And I’m really glad I persisted with meditation because it really is something I now often find very calming. It helps me manage stress, it helps me deal with pain, and I look forward to practicing it, knowing how it makes me feel.

So, I thought I’d take some time to share some of my favourite meditations for people, like me, who have busy minds, or who might have tried meditation but found it challenging to practice.

Just before I dive into those meditations, I’d like to mention one thing that has been really helpful for me. When I finally accepted that my mind was going to wander and that I wasn’t going to be able to focus on a meditation 100%, it was such a huge weight off my shoulders. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I always wanted to have the perfect meditation experiences where my mind would stay totally in the moment, I wouldn’t get distracted and I’d feel totally calm and chilled out. So when that didn’t happen, I felt like a failure and it just increased my feelings of frustration.

So, here’s one thing that I highly recommend you try to do - give yourself permission to have a wandering mind. Accept that your wandering mind is going to be a part of your meditation practice, not something that you need to avoid. Even now, I can do a meditation and get carried away thinking about what I’ll cook for dinner or I’ll start mentally planning a podcast episode. When I notice that my mind has wandered, I just do my best to refocus on the meditation without judging the mind wandering as “bad” or “wrong”. It’s just a natural part of my meditation practice.

Ok, now let’s dive into some great meditations for busy minds.

Meditation 1: Mindful walking

Rather than struggling to sit still with pent up energy, I find that it often feels a lot better to get outside, move my body, and let my mind enjoy the stimulation of the environment. My partner, Dec, and I just moved into our new home a few weeks ago and I found a great local walking track. It goes along a creek and I always see different birds and new flowers and in the evening I can see the sun setting - it’s just such a natural way for me to find a state of meditation. I usually won’t take my phone so I just can enjoy the walk distraction-free and I like that every time I go on the walk, there are subtle differences that capture my attention and help my mind stay more present.

Meditation 2: A short breathing technique

The main reason why I think breathing techniques are awesome is that they can also help relieve stress. When you breathe deeply, you can help de-escalate feelings of stress and for me, when I’m stressed, I often feel a lot of physical tension in my chest and stomach. When I focus on breathing techniques, even just for 30 seconds or a minute, I notice a big difference in how I feel, physically and mentally. Usually, I feel lighter, less tense, and a bit more clear-minded.

And there are lots of different breathing techniques that I use and enjoy! The “Relax with the Exhale” breathing technique is especially lovely. To practice, you can take a deep breath in, hold the breath for a moment, and as you exhale, consciously release any tension you might be holding in your body.

Another breathing technique I like is called “The Breathing Waltz,” which I learned when I was volunteering on the helpline at the Anxiety Recovery Centre for Victoria. To practice, simply breathe in for three counts, hold for three counts, and exhale for three counts. It’s quite a simple technique, but it can be really effective in keeping your attention (because of the counting) and it can help you slow down your breathing pattern if you’re feeling a bit stressed.

Meditation 3: Visualisation

Sometimes, I struggle with this myself! I’m not a particularly visual person and often, I have weird or unpleasant images appear during visualisations. So, what I’ve found really helpful is listening to guided visualisation meditations, where someone else literally talks me through a scene.

However, if you’d like to practice this yourself, it can be really powerful because you can choose somewhere that feels safe, meaningful, and comfortable for you. Maybe you’ll visualise the beach because it’s a place you really love to visit. Maybe there’s a walk you used to love to do and you can visualise yourself going on that walk. Otherwise you can visualise yourself in your favourite garden, park, or wherever else you like. You could even visualise yourself achieving a goal and exploring how that would feel. There are so many wonderful ways to experiment with this meditation and the visual element can help keep your attention if you have a wandering mind.

So, those are some meditations that can be really helpful if you have a busy mind. Mindful walking, short breathing techniques, and visualisation. I recommend choosing one to start with and just see how it goes. Remember you don’t have to be perfect and you can start with very short meditations and build them up over time.

If you’d like some guidance and support on your meditation journey, then I highly recommend getting a copy of my Relaxation Meditation Album. The album features some of my favourite meditations, including a really lovely visualisation and the “Relax with the Exhale” breathing technique. Especially if you struggle to fall asleep at night or if you find yourself getting easily overwhelmed by stress, this is a great meditation album to use. Click here to get my Relaxation Meditation Album which you can download straight to your computer and start listening as soon as you’re ready.

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

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