5 Meditation Types for Racing Thoughts

Do you have a hard time meditating? Either the actual doing it or the making it a habit? The most common problems I hear are: I can’t do it (usually because they can’t sit still or can’t “quiet” their mind) and I never stick with it. Today I wanted to address the racing thoughts problem. (We call it “monkey brain” in my meditation group.) So I’m sharing 5 meditation types for racing thoughts. Over time and with practice we can get better at managing racing thoughts, but in the meantime or on tough days, these types of meditation will help!

We all have thoughts. And we all have thoughts that show up uninvited. Even masters at meditation will have thoughts come up- it’s what our human brains are designed to do. So don’t be discouraged.

It’s a practice and it’s still good for you even if you are mentally running through your grocery list, the fight you had with your husband, how much you have to do today, how bad you are at meditating, that embarrassing thing you did that’s haunting you, how tired you are…or any other uninvited thought that floats your way.

I recently heard an analogy of thoughts as push-ups for your mind. Every time a thought barges in and you bring your attention back, it’s like doing a meditation push-up. You’re getting stronger at it. So don’t stress those pesky thoughts…they’re part of the process.

Every time a thought pops up, try to just let it go.

That said, it is nice to quiet our mind and that can still be a goal for our meditation practice. Just not one that should stress us out.

Some visuals that might help…

• Picture yourself in a snow globe. You are the snowman or the Christmas tree or whatever is in the middle of the snow globe and your thoughts are the snow. See them, don’t try to catch them, let them float away.
• Imagine a blank screen like a movie screen in front of you. As thoughts come in, picture them scrolling across the screen and off the other side.
• Picture yourself sitting in a field. Your mind is a vast blue sky and any clouds you see are thoughts. See them there but let them drift off and away.

Some types of meditation are better for focusing your thoughts…

Body Scan Meditations

Body scan meditations have you focus on different parts of the body, noticing feelings in the body. Sometimes you may also tighten an area and then loosen it. They often start with the feet and work their way up.

I like these for the focus it brings to the body- noticing areas of tension or discomfort. They’re also great when my mind is racing, because my focus is brought to a particular area.

I find my thoughts wander a little bit less during these meditations.

Breath-focused Meditations

Breath-focused meditations have you breathe in different patterns. Most meditations begin with some deep breaths, but some stay with the breath the whole time. Some have you follow certain patterns of breathing. For example, there are different types of nostril breathing, breath counts, holding and releasing.

My mind might still wander, but the breathing offers an extra focus I find helpful.

Sense-focused Meditation

A very simple, but effective way to meditate is to just breathe deeply and take a few minutes to notice your five senses. Give time to each one- what am I hearing? Tasting? Smelling? Feeling? Be very specific. For example, the clothes against your skin, your thighs on the chair, your feet on the floor, your hands resting on your legs. For seeing, you can open your eyes for a moment and gaze at the farthest point in front of you (past your computer screen maybe and to the far side of the room) and notice what you can see in your periphery vision. Then close your eyes again before you end the meditation and notice any patterns of light or shapes you might see in the darkness of your closed eyes.

Focusing on an object can also be a form of meditation. You can watch the flame of a candle for example.

Visualization Meditations

Visualization can be a great way to keep those racing thoughts at bay. There are a ton of guided ones out there to try. You can also walk yourself through one- visualize an upcoming event you’re looking forward to and imagine it as if it’s happening. Imagine your best day ever in the future- and be specific. What are you wearing? How do you feel? Where are you going? Who are you with? What is the occasion? You can go into details of your life at the time- your career, relationships, how much money is in your bank account, etc.

Keep it positive and uplifting; those good feelings will raise your vibrations, too!

You could also just use one of the visualizations I mentioned above (snow globe, movie screen, field/sky) or picture yourself in a beautiful room where you feel safe and happy and supported, with all the physical  and sensory details.

Mantra Meditations

A mantra is a word or phrase you repeat, either silently or aloud. Mantra meditations can be great for racing minds as they center you on those words, making other pesky thoughts less likely to steal the show.

You can create your own mantra or play around with guided mantra meditations. It can be as simple as, “Breathe in calm, breathe out stress.” Mantras can be very woo-woo, but they don’t have to be! Though the woo is interesting if you’re up for it.

There are some sounds that have added benefits- because of the frequencies and all that good stuff.

Some simple mantras that might sound familiar…

Om

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

So Hum (I am)

You can use a mantra you find online or create your own. Maybe create a personal mantra and use it every time you meditate. It can be very short (ex- Om) or longer (ex- I am peace and love and light, I radiate peace and love and light). You can time your inhales and exhales to the words.

Mantras are a great way to keep your mind focused. If thoughts come, let them come, and let them go. Come back to the mantra.

Meditation is a practice…

You might find some meditations are better than others for you. But the most important thing to remember is that meditation is a practice.

Even if you have monkey brain the whole time, you will still get the benefits of meditation…for your mood, your brain, your health, your whole life.

It’s a worthwhile, science-backed practice that’s been around for forever and has the power to change the world.

My friend told me her doctor told her that she thinks meditation will become like flossing your teeth one day- because it’s like flossing your mind. By meditating, you’re giving your mind a chance to decompress, clear out, flush, expand. Something we need desperately in these technology-soaked, busy, sad, and stressful times.

You will probably notice the difference immediately on a small scale- just focusing on taking slow, intentional breaths will relax your body. But over time you will see differences in all areas of your life.

Imagine if we all meditated?

So go meditate today! Make it a priority. Start small. (I LOVE Insight Timer for tons of free guided meditations and meditation timers!)

Do you meditate? Do you have a favorite type? Or do you need help getting started? Reach out! I love talking about meditation and I love sharing my love of it with others…

You can comment here, email me at mary@stayathomefit.com, or find me on Facebook and Instagram. I’d be so happy to hear from you either way 🙂

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