Meditating with Distractions

Leo is saying "Come on, let's meditate!"

Everybody, especially beginners at meditation, have distractions pop up. It might be a deadline for work, getting your taxes done, or as in my case, having an 85 pound lab come and sit on you every time you sit on the floor!

For me, the main thing has been setting aside the time to meditate and not letting distractions get in the way. To-do lists, working on taxes or projects for work, can all wait 25 minutes while I meditate and I've found I approach these tasks in a calmer, more organized manner if I've taken the time to do my daily meditation.

One at least two days of the week, possibly more, my husband is home in the mornings. He doesn't meditate but having him here is a break in the schedule I've created for myself. We get up later usually or he's just making noise, listening to the radio, etc, which is distracting.

On the weekends, I've solved this meditation challenge by getting up 30 minutes early so I have peace and quiet in the house. Most of the time, if I go to bed ontime, I can set my internal alarm and wake up early. Getting up to meditate, I've found, is much more relaxing and easier than getting up to, say, work out or do aerobics for 30 minutes. Sometimes it's even easier to meditate first thing after getting out of bed than it is later in the morning because my mind is still a little foggy from sleep and the needs of the day haven't started darting through my mind yet.

On Wednesday, my husband worked at home so I put on my headphones and listened to Jeffery Thompson's Healing Mind System 2.0, which is soothing and beautiful. I keep this music on my ipod for doing tai chi and there was a 29 minute track which was perfect for my daily meditation.

As to the 85 pound lab, my dog Leo thinks that if anyone is sitting on the floor, she should be in their lap! This was pretty easy to solve, actually. Now before I begin meditation, I call her and say, "Come on Leo, it's time to meditate." Then I settle her down right beside me on the floor before I start, rather than letting her "discover" me sitting there, which means lap time and many licky kisses.

Now if I can keep my other dog, Molly, from barking at every passerby in the window while I'm meditating!