Meditation query - how do I 'notice' without my brain giving me words??

[ponygirlcurtis]

I am just starting out with the Mark Williams/Danny Penman Mindfulness book, although it's something I've been interested in for a while. I started doing the daily meditations yesterday.

I have a question for more experienced meditators about awareness. At the moment I am trying to bring my awareness to certain parts of my body as part of the meditation, as the CD says to 'notice any feelings or sensations'. I can do that - I can notice the feeling of my bum on the seat, I can feel a general tingle/blood-flow when I turn my awareness to each part of the body, I can focus on my breath and feel a general calmness, and if I realise my mind has wandered off I can bring the focus back.

But in my head it is going 'I can feel my bum on the seat', 'I can feel the tingle in my legs', 'I can feel my breath moving in out', 'My abdomen is moving', 'Oh look, my hand just twitched'.

Is this ok, is this normal? I can't seem to 'notice' or be aware without my head giving voice to the noticing.

I don't think it matters that you are verbalising the words in your head - the aim isn't to empty your head completely, rather to see what is there when it is still. By focussing on parts of your body you are bringing attention to what is actually going on at that moment, and acknowledging it, while the focus on the body helps still the thought processes. Once you have checked in with your body and breath, then you can let them go and observe what else is there - it is all just part of the process.

If you want to try moving past the verbalisation, one technique is to say out loud 'talking' when you notice yourself talking in words in your head. It also works with 'thinking' if your thoughts start going off at tangents or 'imaging' if you are visualising pictures. It doesn't always stop the process (though it does sometimes), but the important thing is that you have acknowledged what your mind is doing. After a while of actually speaking 'thinking' you can try just thinking it (a bit counter-intuitive i know when you are trying to stop thinking in words), and then just acknowledge that you are doing it.

A lot of mindfulness is about acknowledging rather than controlling. Worrying about doing it 'right' is the biggest barrier to successful meditation - it sounds like you're doing it just fine!

I've been meditating fairly regularly for about the last year using the Headspace App. Towards the end of each session you are directed to let your mind go free "if it wants to think, let it think" Andy says. As soon as those words are uttered my mind clears. No talking, thinking, feeling, imagining - nothing. I must be quite contrary in that my mind only clears when it's given permission to wander.

As oneegg says its easy to get distracted by worrying that you're not doing it 'right'. I'm not sure there is a right way.

Sometimes for a break I do some guided meditations from You Tube as I find them a little light relief when I'm getting frustrated with meditating.

Thanks for the posts, they are really helpful. Will keep at it.

you're a beginner and doing fine you're re-programming your mind to 'see' things differently so it is natural to mentally verbalise what you 'see' happening. keep practicing and one day you will notice the shift in your awareness...you will have gone from mentally verbalising the sensations to just being 'aware' of them - which then leaves the 'empty space' waiting to be filled with something else

Do you drive ? If so do you think verbally "change gear from second to third" or are you in the zone (as sportspeople say) to do it like you possibly did when tou first learned. It's why I loved playing and watching football, it was my meditation, to lose myself without abandon.

I am of the opinion that meditation is not losing yourself, it's finding yourself and maintaining an inner focus and awareness of what we are.
The mind will bring in words, but as time passes and focus retrains the random thoughts about your day to a close, it allows a period of clarity where you connect so deeply to yourself, that you are in union with your inner source and thus become to notice more. A deeper level. A level of knowingess where words cannot suffice, or are required.