The Toxic Combination of Restlessness and Meditation

You often meditate successfully, but there are those times that you just can’t sit still. Ahhhh…this is the most frustrating. Just so you know, I am almost always restless and can completely relate to this issue. Through experience, I’ve had to learn to compensate for my restlessness. More on how I overcome restlessness it in a few moments. First, let’s break down restlessness by doing what I always do…ask questions.

Why Are You Restless While You Meditate?

The list of why is endless. Maybe you need exercise. Maybe you’re overtired and sleepy and your body is fighting back. Maybe you haven’t eaten enough protein. Maybe you’re tired from work. Whatever…

I have another hypothesis. Maybe your body is trying to activate your mind by moving. What’d you say? Why would your brain want to induce your body to be restless and to move? - For a similar reason your body craves salt after you work out. When you workout, your body sweats and looses critical fluids which are needed to replenish. Your mind gives you a craving to drink something like Gatorade. You can choose to ignore the craving, but the mind of humans has been formed over many years of evolution and it won’t be easy.

Bilateral Stimulation Helps Meditation

What I have found is that I can meditate far more easily by applying bilateral stimulation. Sometimes I use my hands, unclenching and clenching my left and right fists slowly. Better yet, I use my Focus Stones.

My theory is simple. Different types of people just can’t sit still and they need the distraction of something else. This logic is similar to the way music helps some people study. It’s well documented that familiar (not something new) music can help a person better focus on the task-at-hand. The mind needs a distraction - something to put it into a rhythm.

Why not try Focus Stones for bilateral stimulation the next time you’re experiencing restlessness or having trouble meditating.

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