5 Simple Meditation Exercises for Beginners with an Overactive Mind

“I meditate so that my mind cannot complicate my life.” — Sri Chinmoy

I have been meditating for about 18 years now. To be perfectly honest, I had a difficult time getting started in the beginning. Being analytical plus having a vivid imagination means I have an extremely active mind, filled with images, inner dialogs, ideas and speculations. Sometimes I even have obsessive thoughts in loops that just won’t stop no matter how hard I try. It was impossible to calm my mind. I gave up intermittenly for several years thinking meditation simply didn’t work for me.

The common misconception of meditating is sitting crossed-legged in full lotus position and relinquishing all thoughts. The true spirit of meditation, however, is far more expansive and creative than a seating posture and an empty mind. Meditation is not only a way to relax and recalibrate — it’s also a channel for connection to our higher mind, inner truth, or the vast knowledge of the universe. For some people, even to other dimensions. It is a tool for gaining clarity by cutting through all the mental noise and discovering your true path — inner knowledge we all possess but is clouded by life’s distractions and preprogramming. Many successful athletes, entrepreneurs, and public figures are known to meditate on a daily basis to help guide their careers and personal choices.

By now, it is no secret that meditation not only helps stress reduction, it has undisputed scientific benefits towards our overall health and longevity as well. More and more people are starting on this highly effective and rewarding journey, but if you have an overactive mind like me, you might be struggling to get started as I once did.

Here are 5 simple exercises that are great stepping stones to prepare you for a meditative state. Choose 1 that appeals to you the most, then move on to another when you are ready.

1. Journaling

Excessive thoughts and feelings are often those suppressed, unorganized or unexpressed. If you find your thoughts overwhelming and uncontrollable then the first step is to get them out of your head and into the present moment.

If you are not in an environment (or simply not ready) to verbalize out loud to others all your thoughts and feelings, writing them down is a great first step to relieve incessant mental chatters.

Treat this exercise as a mind-dump without judgment or filter. Don’t worry about correcting grammar, how it might sound, whether it’s right or wrong to say, or what does it mean for you to have a certain type of thoughts. The whole point is to let your thoughts and feelings flow out onto paper without any disruption from your habitual filters. Your journal is your best friend and teacher who is there to “listen” without any judgment. If you are going through a particularly rough period, you might even want to carry a small pocket journal so you can write whenever you need to. Using a voice recorder will also do the trick.

2. Walking meditation

If you’re used to being productive and operating at 100 miles an hour, the idea of sitting still and doing nothing might seem daunting at first. In the interim, try going for a walk.

And I don’t mean a speed walk. Slow down your pace and walk with intention. Allow yourself to be there just for the walk, not to contemplate a solution to a problem or to escape from a stressful situation.

Treat it as if you are walking for the first time in your life. Feel your foot firmly in contact with the ground below, one at a time (left, right, left, right). Can you feel the soles of your feet coming in contact with the ground in each step you take? Can you feel the texture beneath the ball of your foot, your heel, and your toes?

This simple exercise will help ground you and bring you more to the present moment. Whenever you feel a little lost, confused, or simply unanchored, go for a slow walk to bring yourself back down to earth again.

3. Water meditation

This is a fun exercise, and great for the whole family, especially if you want to get your kids started in mindfulness and meditation at an early age. Just 3 minutes of this will help bring your awareness and capacity for gratitude to a new level.

Begin by taking a small sip from a glass of fresh clean drinking water, and close your eyes. Instead of gulping down your throat, let it remain in your mouth for about 30 seconds. Feel its temperature, its fluidity, and the sensation it gives you. Pay attention to how your lips, tongue, and mouth feel.

Slowly begin to swallow and feel the stream of water going down your throat. Notice the sensation as it flows further and further down your throat and travels to your stomach.

Finally, give thanks to the water for nourishing your body and giving you life. Smile and open your eyes.

4. Candle gazing meditation

If you are a visual and imaginative person but easily distracted, this will be an easy but highly effective technique to help retain your focus and get into a meditative state.

Simply light a candle and sit comfortably in front of it. Keep your back straight but not locked.

Take a deep inhale then exhale. Look straight into the candle flame and relax your gaze. Simply watch and observe the flame. Notice the liveliness of the flame. Is it still, does it dance, what are its colors. What imagery do you see when you gaze into it? Keep your gaze relaxed and easy breathing throughout.

Do this exercise for 5 minutes to start, gradually adding 5 minutes to each session as you get more and more comfortable with it.

5. Observing your thoughts

One of the frustrations for someone with an active mind is feeling pressured to stop thinking during meditation. Well studies have shown that the average human being has about 50,000 - 90,000 thoughts per day, so you are definitely not alone. The practice of meditation isn’t about stopping thoughts, instead, it will help to prioritize and bring clarity to your thought patterns, leading to better self awareness.

Sit comfortably on a chair or on the ground, your choice. The key is to be in a balanced and comfortable posture where you are most relaxed, with your spine straight but not locked.

Instead of trying to stop thinking, befriend your thoughts. Your mind (just as any part of you), isn’t your enemy. Chances are, it’s either trying to help you or it’s crying out to you for help.

As you relax into your posture, allow your thoughts to free flow without judgment. Witness each thought come and go like a carousel. Give them a nod of acknowledgement as if greeting a passenger. You can even silently say, “Oh, hey, that’s interesting. I wonder where you came from. Bye for now.”

This exercise helps to acknowledge and filter your thoughts and gradually dissipate their urgency and intensity over time. This will not only bring your awareness to the present moment, help get to know your thought pattern, but also develop a bigger capacity for self compassion.

How do you like the above meditations? Drop a comment or send me an email and let me know how these worked for you.