I am practicing meditation now. This is the third week. Of all the fitness activities out there, meditation is probably the toughest one. I like it; it’s a solo activity. I close my eyes, listen to the voice from my phone telling me to quite down my thoughts and focus on emptying my mind. And there it is, the catch!
Quieting down my thoughts, emptying my mind, even if it is for just 5 minutes, that is a challenge. This was the reason that I did not meditate for more than 1 minute at a time before. But these last 2 weeks, however hard it was, I was determined to go with meditating. Last week the session was for 10 minutes a day. And I was surprised to see me succeeding in doing that.
Then the other day, while reading a book, it striked me. We meditate while doing other activities too. Reading a book, for example, is sort of a meditating session. All my thoughts still run in the background of my mind but that precise moment when I read, I am there with the words in the book and nothing else! I think it is because reading cannot be multitasked unlike watching TV or talking to someone. The moment we give our full attention on to the activity at hand we are meditating, unknowingly though.
Actually this realization made me happy. Another reason to quit multitasking.
Do you meditate? Do you favor multitasking? Can you see the relation as I have experienced? Share your thoughts please.
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Void Thoughts 
I’ve tried meditation & failed miserably at it. It either makes me fall sleep or the voices in my head don’t let me sit quiet for long. Nonetheless, meditation has always been a slumbering desire which I would like to tame someday. But I agree, your passions are your meditation, and reading, writing, or walking in the nature is what makes me live in the present.
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I am not the right one to comment here. Cos i am bad in meditation. Once i tried meditating, and my monkey mind, was on Himalayas,.. and then it went to god knows where … i find it very difficult to meditate.
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Meditation is tough, i never tried, but i can understand how difficult it is to empty our mind. I am an avid reader too, and yes i agree with you that it’s one form of meditation. I am a classical dancer, even this is one form of meditation. Good that you are not giving up on meditation, all the best.
I feel, multi tasking is stressful, even i want to get away with it.
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I tried meditation a long long time ago but I had no such luck. I was so distracted and if I didn’t have any distraction, I am almost asleep. Yeah as you said, I guess while reading we don’t think if anything else. For me when I am painting I try to not think of anything else. Cos if I do, it just messes up everything. But it’s difficult sometimes with a 3 yo and housework to concentrate. Once in a while I get that zen time and that’s mostly when I zentangle 🙂
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After a very long time, I sat and read an entire book cover to cover last night at one shot! I was so thrilled and felt such a high that nothing else mattered! I have so many blog comments to reply to, so many things on my to-do list, so many unfinished tasks but I just felt happy! I turned off my phone, shut my laptop and read like a maniac. It felt amazing! No to multi-tasking and YES to being in the moment and breathing life. Way to go, Vinitha 🙂
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Meditation is tough. I cannot keep my thoughts in control and yes, while reading and writing I may be focused but meditation needs a different level of concentration. I am glad you are able to do it. It’s hard but it really soothes one down and shows you things in a different light.
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I’ve meditated for half an hour every morning for the last thirty years. I began with difficulty, the way you express. But perseverance paid off. The reason I started was to control pain. It works.
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I am an avid reader and from my childhood on wards, I felt I could be immersed in a book and not know and feel anything else in the world!!
You go, Vinitha!! 10 minutes and reading!! You have it!!
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I too agree that reading is like meditation, even doodling or drawing zentangles. I like to quieten my mind after yoga. It’s extremely relaxing … sometimes I feel my mind longs for that peaceful moment.
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i agree with the first comment. reading is the only meditation I know too 🙂
Multi-tasking is a necessary trait for many of us as our work involves paying attention to multiple things. I don’t grudge that, in fact it spurs me on as I love the challenge. Isn’t even driving a multi-tasking? You do things automatically, but in reality are paying attention to and managing more than one thing at a time 🙂
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Meditation becomes tough because we try to stop the thoughts from coming into our mind wanting to create a vacuum there which goes against the work of nature. If we try to first see our moving thoughts without getting absorbed in them and then consciously think positive thoughts, meditation gets easier. You are so right it can be done anywhere and anytime. Reading is indeed therapeutic because the story and characters take us away from our world.
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Reading is therapeutic for me and the only form of meditation I know… am never able to meditate more than 2-3 mins… I get distracted or fall asleep!
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