Clear Your Mind for Meditation

It is not possible to completely clear your mind. Instead, you can achieve a relaxed and calm mental state that will allow you to find more fulfillment from meditation. Start by acknowledging the mind and body connection. Treat your body the right way by taking a long walk or indulging in a cup of tea. To relax your mind, go through a few journalling exercises. Then, when you are ready, begin your meditation session in a quiet, serene setting.

Steps

Relaxing Your Body

1. Take a walk. Go on a quick stroll around your neighborhood. If you go slower, concentrate on the nature around you and visualize the tension leaving your body. If you go faster, it will get your blood pumping and will cause the release of endorphins, which will help you to clear your mind.
   • Any type of exercise will help you to clear your mind. You can try lifting some weights, riding a bike, or even playing a game of basketball. Then, use your meditation time to decompress.
2. Do some deep breathing exercises. Find a count that works for you and then repeat it over and over again in time with your breaths. Breathe in for four counts and then breathe out for four counts. Make sure that your lungs inflate fully and try to remove all air from them with every exhale. Repeat this process for a few minutes until you feel calm and prepared to meditate.
3. Drink a glass of warm milk. This is a tool that many people use to drift off into sleep; however, it also helps to relax your body for meditation. Pour some milk into a microwave-safe cup and heat it until warm. You can also heat the milk on the stove. Slowly sip the milk.
4. Take a short nap. Find a quiet, calm place and lie down for 30 minutes. Try not to exceed this time limit or your nap may make you more tired than focused. Once you wake up, take a few minutes to stretch before starting to meditate. Your nap can serve as a restart for your day and may lessen your stress levels.
   • Taking naps during the day results in headaches for some people. If this is the case for you, experiment with the lengths of your naps or just try closing your eyes for a bit instead.
5. Drink a cup of herbal tea. Choose a type of tea that you prefer, whether it be peppermint, chamomile, or another option. Blend a cup and breathe in the steam. Slowly sip the tea. Some teas, such as chamomile, have built-in low-level sedation properties which can lead to almost immediate relaxation.
   • For even more relaxing results, you can pair your tea with a warm bath. Just make sure to not get too relaxed or you may feel tempted to skip your meditation exercises.
6. Change into comfortable clothes. At least 15 minutes before you start to meditate, put on some clothes that are not distracting to you. Go with natural blends, such as cotton. Synthetic fabrics can be scratchy and less flexible. Making clothing adjustments can pull you out of your meditation.
   • Some people prefer to wear something similar to workout attire. Try fitted or loose cotton pants with a matching t-shirt. You can also go shoeless for even more comfort.
7. Complete a body scan. Sit still and consider each part of your body, starting with the top of your head and moving downwards. Pay attention to how each area feels. Are you experiencing any pain there? Does one area feel particularly strong? As you finish with your toes, tell yourself that you will work through all of this information later. Now, you are ready to focus on your mind.

Relaxing Your Mind

1. Make a gratitude list. Pick a particular person in your life. Then, focus on that person and write down everything that you are grateful for about them. Try to write down at least ten observations. Repeat this process with a new “person of focus” each day immediately prior to meditating. This will put you in a positive mindset.
   • If you want to extend the positive energy even more, you can send your list to the person in question.
2. Write down a to-do list. If you are the type of person who is extraordinarily busy, set aside five minutes before each meditation to sit down and write out a list of tasks that you need to complete that day or week. Once they are on the list, do your best to banish them from your mind. You now know that they will be dealt with after you are finished.
   • This is also a good way to not feel guilty about taking some “me” time for meditation. Your list shows that you will handle your obligations to others as well.
   • As opposed to a list, you can also just free-write your thoughts. Write anything that comes to mind. You can use this as a way to vent any negative energy too. For example, you might write, “I’m so tired to being taken for granted at work.”
3. Turn off and put away your phone. As you start the winding down process, go ahead and place your phone away from you and silence it. Your phone has the potential to distract you and to pull you back into the current day’s events. Removing your phone allows you to escape for a bit.
   • If you are meditating with a group, it is also common courtesy to silence all electronic devices, unless the group decides otherwise.
4. Read from a calming text. Carry a small book of poems with you. Or, perhaps a book with inspirational quotations. Some people find reading biographies calming as well. There are even special meditation books available that can help you to focus your thoughts. Go to your local bookstore, or online, and search out a few texts that appeal to you.
5. Focus on one thing. Picture in your mind one person, place, event, idea, or location. It can be anything that you choose. Push all of your mental energies toward that area and try to focus on it as much as possible. Go back to this area whenever your mind tries to wander when meditating.
   • For example, you might focus on how much you love the city of Paris. Try to think about everything that you love about it and then steer yourself back to a blank mind.
6. Be gentle with yourself. It’s okay to engage in a dialogue with yourself while preparing to mediate. If you begin to lose focus, tell yourself, “Let’s avoid distractions. Focus on breathing.” If you start to attack yourself for being “bad” at meditating then you will lose all focus and control. So, keep your mental comments positive and uplifting.
   • When in doubt, assume that you are doing everything right. After all, if you get something out of meditating, then you’ve succeeded.

Creating a Calming Space for Meditation

1. Identify a meditation haven. Ideally, you should try to meditate in the same general area every day. Locate a spot that feels serene to you and one where you are comfortable. Your haven could be your bedroom, the kitchen, or even the attic. Make sure that it is somewhere safe, too.
2. Clean up the space around you. If you find that your haven is a bit disorganized on a certain day, it may help to spend a few minutes tidying everything up before starting to meditate. It may calm your mind knowing that your environment is orderly.
3. Set the temperature to mild. If you are too cold, then you will likely lose focus and your mind may wander a bit. You may also fidget or experience the chills, which are equally distracting. If you are too warm, then you may sweat or itch. Pick a temperature that is as close to unnoticeable as possible. Move the thermostat up or down each day until you find the best temperature for you.
4. Try different meditation positions. Many people prefer to sit on the floor to meditate, sometimes with their feet crossed. However, you can also try sitting with your legs stretched out, sitting upright in a chair, laying down on your back or on your stomach, or even walking around. Rotate through these positions until you find one that works best for clearing your mind.
   • If you choose to sit down to meditate, it might help to add a soft towel or light blanket to sit on.
5. Lower the lighting of the room. Create a calming atmosphere by installing dimmer bulbs in your meditation haven area. Or, turn off the lights in the room and light a few small candles. If you find yourself getting distracted, focusing on the flame will help to center you.
6. Transition out of meditation slowly. When you are finished with a session, don’t just jump up and immediately throw yourself back into your work. Instead, stand up and take a long, relaxing stretch. Maybe take another short walk. Gradually build-up to your normal level of activity.
7. Practice this exercise daily. Make meditation a normal part of your daily routine. It is easiest to clear your mind in the morning, but a daytime or evening session are also good options. Stick to the same general timeframe, so that your mind and body get used to the process.

Tips

• Take a few moments to say, “Thank you,” to yourself after each meditation session.
• It also helps some people to keep up a low humming noise before and during meditation. Or, you could consider using soothing music.
• You can also join a meditation group or work with a meditation teacher who can help you to concentrate and clear your mind.

Warnings

• If you get too frustrated and just can’t seem to clear your mind, you may want to delay your meditation session for an hour or so and then try again.

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Sources and Citations

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