Four Thoughts it is totally ok to have during meditation

Meditation is something I've dipped my toes in and out of in the past couple of years with varying degrees of success. I recently completed a 40 day streak and the positivity I felt and the reduction of everyday stress was a game changer for me. However, as with everything I skipped one day and ended up taking a massive break as a result. I've recently gotten back into it and all my old insecurities came back such as ‘I'm thinking too much’. It was then, during meditation, that I realised it is totally ok to have these thoughts and if I can let others know as much then hopefully it will become less scary and more accessible, and there’s nothing better than spreading the word of something you love doing. Below are thoughts that could seem a teensy bit negative but are totally fine to have.

'This is boring'

This thought pops up, unprovoked, during at least 50% of my sessions. It happens regardless of length of time I'm meditating for or what mood I'm in. The reason it is totally fine: it kind of is boring. Sitting there when you could be watching TV, reading a book or having a glass of red wine is hardly going to fill you with a sense of excitement. The best thing to do when boredom strikes is to try and forget about it, acknowledge you've had the thought and try to bring your attention back to your breath.

'It’s so busy in here, I'm doing this wrong'

I've been meditating for about 6 months now and it took me a long while to accept that some days my brain will be busier than others, and that it is perfectly fine to feel that way. Meditation isn’t about blocking out all thoughts and sitting in utter silence, it’s about watching your thoughts pass by and letting them come and go rather than dwelling and allowing them to grow into whole stories.

'I'm so tired'

I'm guilty of starting a mediation in bed and falling asleep. Sometimes I'm so busy thinking of nothing that I lose track of what I'm supposed to be doing and just fall asleep. It’s a great way to relax the whole body and mind, and I do often use meditative techniques to get myself to sleep - moving through the body slowly and noticing everything I can in a certain area. There are certainly benefits to falling asleep through your practice - at least you know you can use it when suffering from a bout of insomnia. The easy way to avoid this is to sit up, either on a chair or cross legged on the floor.

'Oh god, that mistake I made today/yesterday/last year is haunting me'

As a massive stress ball I often find myself recounting the day’s mistakes, particularly when I have nothing else to think about. The best thing about meditation is that when these “bad” memories pop it becomes a chance to focus on feelings of compassion, for yourself and for others. It allows you to learn to not dwell on these thoughts but to, to allow them to pass without attaching any emotion to them. Noticing, but not focussing on these thoughts allows more room for the feeling of compassion to grow from the inside.