We’ll feel more and more benefits the more we practice. But even completing one meditation can lead to a reduction in mind wandering. Ideally, we meditate a few times a week or daily. But it’s easiest to get started knowing these meditation basics: It’ll get easier to let them go and “get out of our heads” to be more engaged in what we’re doing, whether we’re spending time with family, making time for self-care, or working against a deadline. The more we practice, the more we can see thoughts for what they are: just thoughts. Then gently shift our focus away from it and back onto our breath - to let the thought go. Meditation trains us to notice the traffic without chasing or fighting it - just to let the thought come. Other times, we see a roadblock ahead and try to resist it, like we do when we think or feel something uncomfortable. Sometimes we see a flashy car and chase after it, kind of like when we get caught up in analyzing or judging a thought or when we get lost in a daydream. How do we do this? Let’s think of thoughts like traffic in the mind, always zipping by. Rather than trying to stop our thoughts, we practice letting thoughts come and go. But that’s not really how the mind works, and neither does meditation. People might associate meditation with sitting in silence and stopping all of our thoughts and feelings to become calm. Doing this helps us become more aware of our thoughts, act more compassionately toward ourselves and others, and connect with the present moment. We take time out of our busy days to sit, breathe, and try to remain focused on our breath. Meditation is the practice of intentionally spending time with our mind.
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