How to Co-Opt All the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Your Meditation | Christiane Wolf

0:04This is the 10 % Happier Podcast. I'm Dan Harris.

0:36the way. If you've ever sat to meditate and thought, I can't focus, I'm totally distracted, I'm incredibly physically restless, and it's driving me nuts. If you've ever sat and bumped into a barrier like that, this one's for you. Christiana is going to show you how to turn these obstacles, these distractions, these powerful emotions into the practice itself. As you may know, Christiana is our teacher of the month over at danharris.com. That means she is very busy creating custom guided meditations for all of our Monday, Wednesday episodes here on the podcast. For the most part, these guided meds are only available for paying subscribers, but we're dropping this one for free.

1:16The strategy pursued by drug dealers everywhere. Subscribers also get access to our weekly live meditation and Q &A sessions. The next one is coming up with Christiana Solo. We're doing this one on Wednesday at four Eastern, Wednesday, November 12th. We usually do these on Tuesdays, but Tuesday, November 11th is a holiday in the U.S. It's Veterans Day, so we're moving our session to Wednesday. Quickly, if you want to meditate with me in person, I've got two events coming up. I'm doing a live taping of this podcast on November 18th in New York City. My guest will be the comedian Pete Holmes. It is a benefit for the New York Insight Meditation Center.

1:53Then coming up on November 23rd, I'll be doing an intimate Sunday afternoon meditation and Q &A sesh at a lovely hotel in the Hudson Valley in New York called Troutbeck. If you want a nice day trip from the city, come and say hi. I've put links to both events in the show notes if you want to get tickets. Okay, after a quick break, a guided meditation from Christiana Wolf. So in this meditation, we will explore how to work with something in your life where you find yourself saying something like, if only this wasn't here, then dot, dot, dot. For example, then I could really meditate. We will use the example of meditation, what we believe gets in the way of us meditating.

2:47But of course, the principle is applicable for anything that we feel gets in the way of filling your own blanks. So make yourself comfortable for this meditation. If you're seated, placing your feet firmly on the ground and sitting with your back pretty upright.

3:19If you like, close your eyes or simply lower your gaze.

3:28Start by feeling into the areas where your body has contact with the ground or your chair.

3:41simply feeling into those areas where your body has contact and sensing is it hard or soft warm or cold

4:03find an anchor for this meditation to which you will return to again and again whenever you get lost in thinking. The breath is a good anchor if it feels pleasant or neutral to you. If not, then maybe staying with the sensations in your feet could be a good alternative. If you're using the breath, then now just allow the breath to become a little bit longer and deeper. Becoming aware of the body just sitting here and breathing deeply.

4:52Giving yourself a little bit of time to arrive and settle into this meditation.

5:14Now asking yourself, what do you expect from a meditation? Or what is a good meditation for you?

5:34Maybe you've heard the phrase a good meditation is one you do but having heard this doesn't necessarily mean that your mind gives up its expectations that a good meditation should be or feel a particular way we often have the expectation that a good meditation should feel good in some way ideally even blissful or at least somewhat calming and relaxing why would we even meditate if we wouldn't expect this right? so be curious and find out what it is for you

6:30what makes you feel disappointed in the meditation or maybe even in yourself if that doesn't happen

6:48Mindfulness has the wonderful qualities of curiosity and openness. We can turn mindfulness like a flashlight onto anything, including something that we don't fully understand.

7:08So you can now shine mindfulness onto what you're struggling with in meditation. What would you like to have gone where you find yourself thinking, if only this wouldn't be here, then I could meditate?

7:36What is it? Is it restlessness? Erasing thoughts?

7:47Boredom? The noise around you?

8:01Make this now the focus of your attention. getting really curious about it.

8:13Can you explore it?

8:20If it is within you, where does that show up?

8:29Is that in your body or mainly in your head? Or both?

8:44Does it have any particular qualities?

8:55Is it solid or is there some movement to it?

9:10is it still the same or has it changed?

9:23Or can you imagine bringing the breath into what is challenging, breathing some space into or around whatever you're working with right now

9:39what are you noticing

9:56What if this wasn't a problem, but just a part of this meditation today?

10:10what if what you're doing right now is exactly what makes a good meditation

10:25as best as you can allowing what you think is in the way to be here and actually be part of the way.

10:39Allowing yourself to be restless,

10:45having racing thoughts, to be bored, or having the sounds around you.

11:07that is just how things are right now

11:20so giving yourself some credit for showing up today and doing the work

11:35and when you're ready bringing this meditation to an end

11:45inviting some movement back into the body and open your eyes when you're ready

12:00thank you for meditating with me

12:09thanks again to christiana don't forget i'll be doing a live taping of this podcast which will also double as a fundraiser for the new york insight meditation center that's coming up on november 18th in new york city there's a link in the show notes if you want to get tickets Also, as always, a reminder to sign up at danharris.com. You'll get guided meditations that come along with all of our Monday, Wednesday episodes, plus weekly live meditation and Q &A sessions. Our next session is on Wednesday, November 12th. We're skipping Tuesday, which is when we usually do meditations because it's Veterans Day in the United States.

12:46We do these always at 4 Eastern. So Wednesday, November 12th at 4 Eastern with Christiana Wolfe, who's our Teacher of the Month. And then we'll be back to our regular Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern schedule. Finally, thanks so much to everybody who worked so hard to make this show. Our producers are Tara Anderson and Eleanor Vasili. Our recording and engineering is handled by the great folks over at Pod People. Lauren Smith is our managing producer. Marissa Schneiderman is our senior producer. DJ Kashmir is our executive producer. And Nick Thorburn of the band Islands wrote our theme.