How to turn off your brain when you meditate!
About three years ago, while I was listening to the audio book of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, I was introduced to the concept of meditation. Walter Isaacson goes on to talk about how Steve Jobs practiced Zazen at San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC). I looked up SFZC and I noticed it’s located very close to where I live. One Saturday morning I decided to give this place a visit and I attended the Zazen meditation instruction, that is where my meditation journey began. Below is my answer to one of meditation’s most frequently asked questions.
“I can’t stop thinking when I meditate. How do I turn my brain off?”
I don’t think you can ever turn your brain off and even if you could, that is not what you’re trying to achieve when you meditate. Thinking is the main function of the brain; you think even when you sleep. The brain is an extremely active involuntary machine. Instead of fighting your brain, and forcing it not to think, learn to observe the thoughts coming to you; watch them surface and disappear. The trick is to not engage with the thoughts; simply acknowledge them when they come, and then let them go.
The Tennis Machine Concept
Imagine you are playing tennis with a tennis ball machine. The machine consistently shoots balls at a fast speed, one after the other, without giving you notice. Each ball in this case represents a thought that comes your way. Your main focus is to acknowledge each ball coming your way, and simply pass it to the other side of the net. You don’t grab each ball and look at its details.
Eventually the machine is gonna run out of tennis balls. Before it is refilled and ready to send you more, you will have a period of silence. (In this case you will not have any thoughts.) This period of silence is the peaceful space where you find your calm. From my experience, the longer you practice meditation, the longer this period of silence becomes.
