Practicing meditation is increasingly recommended due to its multiple benefits, however There are many people who, not being able to leave their minds blank, give up the practice.
Today we are going to talk about whether it is really possible to leave the mind blank and whether it is necessary to achieve that state.
Nowadays, with the frenetic pace that society takes, it is not surprising that practices such as meditation are becoming more and more popular. There are many people who want to get rid of the things that are around their heads even for a few minutes a day and get to relax. On the other hand, there are not a few who only achieve feeling more stressed by not being able to achieve it and wondering if it is really possible to leave your mind blank.
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Can you get a blank mind?
There is no clear opinion on whether or not you can achieve that blank state of mind, of not thinking about anything at all. Our brain is a very complex organ and the main organ of the central nervous system. Many functions are controlled of our organism from our head.
The mind and the brain are related since it deals with the execution of cognitive processes such as memory, imagination, thought, etc. This relationship implies that it is difficult for us to reach that blank state of mind.
If we look for an answer in science, there are experiments that confirm the possibility of making our minds turn off. At the same time, there are studies on this absence of the mind that indicate that it is not a very desirable state for people to achieve. Why? The main characteristic of this absence is memory loss and inattention.
Specialists in the area of the mind, such as psychologists and psychotherapists, agree that it is not possible to blank the mind. But then ... What does meditation intend?
Is meditation to be able to leave the mind blank?
There are those who consider that meditation is to achieve a blank mind, however, this conception is not entirely correct. And, in addition to not being correct, it has caused many people to become frustrated at not getting it and to abandon the practice of meditation and all its benefits.
When you learn to meditate, one of the first things that is taught is to focus your attention on a specific object., at first something physical. Shift to focus on breathing or the sound of the air or ambient sound. This object can be varied little by little until progressing in the practice of meditation towards intangible 'objects' such as consciousness itself.
This focus allows us to achieve a state of mental relaxation and learn to focus on the things we want without other thoughts invading us. distracting our attention. It is also useful to know how to appease those harmful thoughts that we may have at times.
Tips to calm our thoughts
There are many people who join in meditations to calm the thoughts that flood them. But perhaps starting meditation directly can lead to frustration and abandonment of this practice and others like it.
Therefore We recommend that you start doing exercises that reduce our brain activity and allow us to relax. These exercises are:
- You practice sports, any that feels good to you to release the accumulated tension, although we recommend practices like yoga and swimming.
- Perform mindful breathing exercises as a prelude to meditation and practices such as mindfulness.
- Foster a good rest at night, It helps to have a more balanced mind and to be able to carry out the rest of the activities with better concentration.
- Stroll in a relaxed way through nature, practice eathing, take care of a garden or small urban garden. The relationship with nature is essential to achieve mental balance and a feeling of well-being.
- Sunbathe, the sun helps the secretion of serotonin promoting a state of relaxation. You can, for example, practice yoga or other exercise outdoors to benefit from the practice and the sun at the same time.
- Dedicate a little bit of our time to ourselves in exclusive.
- Exercises muscle relaxation such as Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation.
- Practice the Slow or unhurried way of life.
- Drink infusions or some food that we like, dedicating that moment exclusively to that food, enjoying it consciously without distractions such as mobile phones, televisions or computers.
- Music therapy, etc.
As you can see, there are many options that we can apply to our day to day, we just have to try and bet on those that best suit us and begin to feel their benefits. With practice you will be able to reduce the stress of the day to day, manage to live each moment as it deserves by dedicating full consciousness to it and guiding your mind towards beneficial thoughts for you, instead of the negatives.
Another thing to keep in mind is that body and mind are connected and it is necessary to take care of the health of both to achieve a life of well-being in which we feel comfortable and with little stress. Therefore, doing practices that help relieve physical tension and rest and other exercises that promote mental calm, we will have our relaxation needs covered.
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Therefore, we can conclude that seeking a blank state of mind is not only almost impossible, but it is not the goal of meditation and the only thing it will do is increase our stress and frustration. Therefore we encourage you to resume the practice of meditation without seeking this state but training to achieve focus on what we want.