Learning to meditate is essential for your health, but it’s not without its challenges. The mind is like a wild horse that doesn’t want to cooperate. Never fear. You can learn to overcome the most common issues with meditation. We have a meditation troubleshooting strategy to handle these issues.
More people are learning to meditate to unlock its health benefits. Meditation is also the ultimate tool for spiritual growth. But what happens when it doesn’t quite work out as planned? While meditation has countless benefits, it’s not always smooth sailing.
If you meditate, you’ll likely encounter these issues at some point. So, save this troubleshooting guide to your favorites. When problems arise, you’ll have the strategies handy to overcome them.
The Common Issues with Meditation
“The voice in your head is like a wild horse taking you wherever it wants to go. When the voice in your head finally stops talking, you experience inner peace.” — Miguel Angel Ruiz
Whether you are learning to meditate or someone who has been practicing for a long time, there are the issues you will encounter.
— Finding the time and right place to meditate
— You get an avalanche of thoughts or emotions and think about problems.
— You feel anxious and wonder, am I doing it right?
— The practice becomes boring.
— It makes you sleepy, or you fall asleep.
— You get frustrated or distracted by outside noises.
Your Mind is Like A Wild Horse
What is this animal of the mind? Why do we call it a horse? Horses like to run and play. They like their freedom and don’t like to be fenced in. They also like to play and have fun. Our Ego is just like an untamed horse. The Ego likes to run free and control our conscious mind. The Ego maintains control through a barrage of thoughts and emotions, which we call a hyperactive mind.
You’ve likely experienced it when you are lost in thoughts and emotions. You lose track of time, and you can’t stop it. It will keep you awake at night, often making you anxious. And it also interferes with our ability to use inner work techniques like meditation.
Meditation Troubleshooting Strategy
Yes, your Ego is the wild horse of the mind. We need it because it is that part of consciousness that connects us to our bodies. It is home to our personality and instincts. These elements can vary in their respective levels of health. So, it is important to treat ourselves with kindness and compassion.
If we learn to approach the Ego like an untamed horse, we can use its natural tendencies to help us meditate. What are the natural tendencies? First, to feel like it is in control and not be forced. Second, to gravitate toward things that are peaceful and calming.
We have two options for handling this wild beast. The first is to use force and try to break the will of the Ego. The second is to befriend the Ego and allow it to help you.
Breaking the Wild Horse of the Mind
The first option is brute force. We think we can force the mind to be calm and do what we want. Wrong. This troubleshooting strategy doesn’t work. If you try this approach, the active mind bucks and jumps like a horse. You think you can ride the beast and break its will. The Ego will comply in the short term, but you cannot break it.
To be sure, this is the tactic used by armies to break the will of recruits. However, you aren’t trying to break the “will” of the mind. You want to build up and strengthen the mind. So, we don’t suggest using the brute force approach. The mind is like a wild horse. It will run free at the first opportunity. When the Ego aspect of the mental struggles, you are back to the common issues with meditation listed above.
The silence of meditation is something our mind needs. The Ego is that wild aspect we need to tame with kindness and gentleness. Otherwise, it will act out to maintain the center of attention.
There is a better or gentler approach for befriending the conscious mind. Instead of forcing attention, we learn to guide it gently. We can direct the mind back in our desired direction when we are peaceful and polite.
Befriending the Wild Horse of the Mind
The most effective and powerful strategies are always the best. It is the same for this meditation troubleshooting strategy. The idea is to befriend the Ego and coax it to do what you desire. This strategy works for all the common issues with meditation above.
Stop whenever you recognize that you have any of the above distractions, discomforts, or issues. Gently return the awareness to our body and breath. Keep doing this when the thought, feeling, or emotion returns. Keep using gentleness, and the conscious mind will respond.
“Ego is something that you come to know — something that you befriend by not acting out or by repressing all the feelings that you feel.” — Pema Chodron
Remember, the wild horse of the mind will respond best to persistent gentleness, not brute force. You don’t want to break the horse (mind). Instead, you want to guide it in the direction you desire. To do this, you offer it a treat. You learn to use a mantra or sutra like a treat.
All horses like treats. Bring an apple. They may not approach you yet, so leave it far enough away that the horse feels safe. Then, it will come and take the apple. The horse will allow you to be closer the next time you visit. Eventually, it will take it out of your hands. Then, it will enable you to touch it and pet it. It learns you are a friend.
Use a mantra or sutra like an apple to the mind. Over time, the wild hours of the mind will respond to your gentleness like most creatures. It will react to your gentleness and go in the direction you desire. The mind will learn to follow your lead. Meditation will become very easy. When the mind understands the benefit, all that’s needed is the proper intention. The mediation process will be more spontaneous because it’s a pleasant experience. Even our wild, hyperactive mind will respond to this gentle approach.
If you use Mantras, use them with kindness. Meditation should be enjoyable. The mind likes the easy route and will return to the path of least resistance. If you find yourself off track, gently return to the process. So, remember, be gentle. Take it easy.
The Strategies for Troubleshooting Meditation
1. Schedule
One of the most common issues with meditation is finding the time to do it. It can be hard to carve out moments of silence and stillness in today’s fast-paced world. Some people may struggle to find a peaceful place to meditate, while others may have too many distractions competing for their attention. If you’re finding it difficult to make time for meditation, don’t worry—you’re not alone. It’s a common struggle that many people face.
A good meditation troubleshooting strategy is to create a regular schedule for your practice. Start by finding the time to meditate. Many people find that meditating first thing in the day is best. That way, they can schedule it for a time and place where they can control the environment.
A good analogy will help you remember important tactics and strategies; that’s why we use the analogy of a wild but curious horse to describe the mind. You have two options: befriend it or try to break it. Believe it or not, they take about the same amount of time. With one tactic, you end up with a friend. With the other tactic, you create an antagonist.
2. Focus on the Body and the Breath
Meditation can be more difficult when your mind is overactive. It can be frustrating if you don’t know how to overcome your restlessness. One of the best ways to calm the restless and overactive mind is to focus on the body and the breath.
We don’t usually focus on the body or breath, but so we regain control when we do. Don’t be surprised if the Ego continues to bombard us with thoughts and emotions. When this happens, gently return your attention to the body and the breath. Eventually, the untamed mind will start to quiet down.
We also rarely focus our attention on our posture. We can even notice pain here and there that we didn’t realize we had. We get bored because the mind is not quiet. It is fighting against the process because our Ego is uncomfortable when it is not in control of our awareness. You must befriend the untamed horse with kindness and gentleness.
3. Listen to the Body
When we get sleepy during meditation, this is often a sign we need the healing rest that comes with sleep. It’s a way for your body to tell you it needs to shut down. Don’t fight this. If your body needs rest, then allow it. Sleep is our repair cycle.
If the practice involves a mantra or sutra, then besides the above, the practitioner can become anxious over “doing it right” or getting off track. External distractions, noises, bright light, temperature, and even our unmet expectations can drive all the above issues.
The wild horse of the mind is curious and independent. It wanders and explores, but it also seeks peace and comfort. We can use these traits to overcome the most common roadblocks to meditation.
Your Ego, which houses your personality and instincts, is the default mode of awareness. They want to control what’s happening, so we need to coax the mind where we want it to go.
“Until your personality has exhausted its obsession with running the show, your soul isn’t given the space to express itself. Your personality can be threatened by your soul because your personality has controlled your life for a long time and does not want to give up control. Your personality is like a wild horse that tries to throw off the rider, trying to tame it. The rider is your soul.” — Corinne McLaughlin
When something doesn’t work, we become frustrated. When meditation does not work, it usually surfaces as one of the four issues we outlined above. Remember the mind is only following its natural tendency. You aren’t doing anything wrong.
When we feel resistance, we tend to try to force the mind. But this doesn’t work. Our personality will often bombard us with thoughts when we try to force it to be quiet.
In Conclusion
Befriending the wild horse of the mind is a philosophy that helps you leverage its natural tendency. This meditation troubleshooting strategy is one of the best practices. Go against the grain of popular culture and meditate often.
“I mean it’s very hard to meditate and live a spiritual life in America. People think you’re a freak if you try to.” — J. D. Salinger
These strategies for troubleshooting meditation are practical tools for every spiritual explorer. When you overcome these common roadblocks, meditation will become a welcome oasis.
“One thing I do personally started 20 years ago. I started meditating, and I know twice a day I can kind of let everything drop. It’s just about being quiet, like drawing back the day, and it allows me to have energy.” — Hugh Jackman
“When you start meditating on your ego, on your thoughts, on your mind, you are suddenly separate, because whatsoever you meditate on, you are separate from it. That has become the object, and you have become the subject.” — Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Osho