Beginner Tips For Meditation Minimizing External Distractions

Finding a peaceful location and minimizing external distractions is one of the most crucial things to set before engaging in meditation practice.

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I would say that for beginners, finding a peaceful location and minimizing external distractions is one of the most crucial things to set before engaging in meditation practice. Why? One of our greatest challenges when it comes to practising mindfulness meditation is distraction, the natural tendency the mind has to move from emergent experience. This happens automatically on its own without even realizing that we got lost in thinking. The moment you try to control it, the more the mind seems to want to do its own thing.

It is important to note that within mindfulness meditation and meditation in general, it is not our aim to stop having thoughts, control the mind, or make the mind go blank. The purpose of our practice is to notice the difference between thoughts that naturally arise within the mind and the automatic tendency to follow the thoughts that arise in the mind and get lost in thinking. So, the purpose of mindfulness practice is to familiarize ourselves with the mind and how the mind moves this automatic tendency that the mind has to get lost in distraction automatically.

So, if there is an internal tendency within the mind to automatically get lost in distraction, how much more easily will the mind get distracted if we are in a place or situation where things are bound to disturb us while practising mindfulness meditation.

Therefore to give ourselves the best chance, especially as beginners, it's best to practice in a place and time when you will have minimal outside disturbances. A peaceful, distraction-free location will allow for better focus during meditation, as external distractions such as noise or movement can be disruptive to the practice.

Some tips for beginners, amongst others, include choosing a quiet space where you can sit comfortably to meditate. You could turn off your phone, close windows and doors, and tell people not to disturb you.

Your phone is an unnecessary device when you're meditating and a source of distraction. Although, while reading this, some of you might disagree with me and rightfully so because you might use a meditation timer or app that is on your phone to meditate. In that case, put your phone in airplane mode to block incoming calls and notifications or put the phone on silent.

Also, if you live in a noisy area or find yourself generally distracted by sound occurring outside, like maybe the neighbour opening the door, kids playing outside or the loud car that randomly passes by, a good practical tip which sometimes we might dismiss, is to close any windows and doors so that you won't be disturbed by noises coming from outside. Also of help might be to identify when the neighbourhood seems to quiet down during the day, for example, between one and three in the afternoon, and practice during that time.

Also, many of us do not live alone, either with a flatmate or our partner or family members. These can also be a source of distraction; for example, children can be quite noisy when playing, which can easily take your mind off the practice. Or just simply someone in the house calling you to ask you something or coming into the room where you are practising to take something. So, in such situations, a good tip could be to practice at a time during the day when you're alone at your house or, on the other hand, to politely tell the people living with you not to come into your room or disturb you for the length of time you'll be practising.

Finally, and one that I personally find helpful is to create a space within the house or to practice in the same place each day – for example, your study room or an area of the bedroom or home which you reserve for your practice. For instance, you could decorate or set up a small space in the house or a room as a sacred space to practice meditation. This could be as simple as having a corner in the bedroom always set up with a mat and a meditation cushion or just having a chair set up in your study, which you use only to meditate. This can be very helpful because our mind works by habits and association. So by association, sitting to practice meditation at the same place each day, which is purposefully designated for practising meditation, can help in allowing the mind to settle and be less bound to be distracted by external disturbances.

To sum up, as beginners, it's crucial to take the time to find a peaceful location and minimize external distractions before engaging in meditation practice. This will allow for better focus during meditation. Tips such as choosing a quiet space, turning off your phone, closing windows and doors, and telling people not to disturb you can help. Additionally, creating a designated space within your home for meditation can also serve as a reminder that this is a sacred and dedicated time for you to practice meditation which by association can also help settle the mind.

Bibliography

Brandsma, R. (2017). The mindfulness teaching guide. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Choden, & Regan-Addis, H. (2018). Mindfulness-based living course. New Alresford: John Hunt Publishing.

Wolf, C., & Serpa, J. G. (2015). A clinician's guide to teaching mindfulness: The comprehensive session-by-session program for mental health professionals and healthcare providers. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.