If you have ever sat down to meditate and immediately started thinking about your grocery list, a project from three years ago, or why your left big toe suddenly feels itchy – congratulations, you have a human brain.
One of the biggest myths about meditation is that it’s about “emptying the mind” or reaching a state of total silence. This misconception makes many people feel like they are “bad” at meditation before they’ve even begun.
Today, we’re de-shaming the busy mind and reframing what it actually means to practice.
Busy Minds are Normal (and Biological)
Your brain’s primary job is to think, categorise and predict. In fact, it is estimated that we have between 6,000 and 60,000 thoughts every single day. Expecting your brain to suddenly stop thinking just because you’ve closed your eyes is like asking your heart to stop beating or your lungs to stop breathing. It is simply doing what it evolved to do: scan for information and keep you prepared.
The goal of meditation isn’t to force the thoughts to stop; it’s to change your relationship with them. We often get caught in the “wash” of our thoughts, being pulled under by every worry or memory that surfaces. Meditation allows you to move to the shoreline. From there, you can observe the waves of thought coming and going without feeling like you have to swim out and engage with every single one. You aren’t failing when a thought appears; you are simply witnessing your brain in action.
Meditation as “Attention Training”
Think of meditation not as a relaxation exercise, but as a gym for your focus. We live in an age of fragmented attention, where our focus is constantly pulled in a dozen directions by screens and demands. Meditation is the practice of reclaiming that focus.
Every time you sit down, your mind will wander, this is a guarantee. However, every time you notice that your mind has drifted and you gently, kindly bring it back to your anchor (like your breath or the sound of a bowl), you have just done a bicep curl for your brain. The success of a session isn’t staying perfectly focused for 20 minutes; the success is found in the moment of awareness – that split second where you realise you’ve drifted and decide to return.
The more often you do this, the stronger your focus muscle becomes, making it easier to stay calm and centred in your daily life outside of the meditation room.
The Music Debate: Helpful Tool or Distraction?
There is a lot of conflicting advice about whether you should meditate in silence or with music. Here is the science behind both sides:
- The Case for Silence: Pure silence (or Vipassana style) encourages you to face your internal landscape without any external buffer. Research suggests this can deepen your ability to observe your own thoughts, though for beginners, it can often feel like being thrown into the deep end of a very noisy pool.
- The Case for Music/Sound: Research in neuromusicology shows that rhythmic sounds can help the brain enter Flow States. If your mind is particularly prone to distraction, music provides a soft focus or an anchor. It occupies the part of the brain that usually scans for threats or wanders off, giving it something beautiful and steady to hold onto.
Our Take: It is a personal decision! If music helps you stay on the mat rather than giving up in frustration, then it is a powerful tool. In fact, sound baths are a unique form of meditation; the vibration literally gives your nervous system a physical sensation to follow, acting as a functional anchor rather than just background noise.
Why Guided Sessions Beat Solo Apps (At First)
When you’re starting out, using a solo app can feel isolating. If your mind wanders, there’s no one to catch you. In a guided, live session:
- External Accountability: The group energy helps keep you present.
- Voice & Vibration: You have a real-time anchor to follow.
- Safe Space: You are in a curated environment designed for rest, away from the distractions of home.
If Your Brain is Busy, You’re in the Right Place
You don’t need a “quiet” mind to join us; you just need to show up as you are.
Remember: If you’re thinking, you’re alive. If you’re noticing those thoughts, you’re meditating.
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