One of the first ever meditations I learned is colloquially known as taming the monkey mind. It is incredibly simple but extremely effective!
A lot of people fundamentally misunderstand what meditation is. I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “sit still and empty your mind.” Rubbish! How can you empty your mind? How can you think of nothing?
The trick is to give your mind something to play with.

The mind jumps from one thought to another, like a monkey jumps from one branch to another. The simple act of meditation is to keep the monkey on one branch for a longer period of time!

Some people like to use visualisation techniques to achieve this. Maybe imagine an object, turn it over in your mind, play with it, take it apart, rebuild it, really focus on it. I however prefer to use breathing.

So here’s how it works. Sit or lie down in a quiet space. Put your headphones on and listen to some gentle music, maybe classical or relaxation music. Try to pick up on the beat. Take a deep breath in for four beats, hold for for beats, breathe out for four beats, hold for four beats, and repeat! Focus on nothing more than the breathing. Thoughts will randomly pop into your mind, maybe the washing, the shopping list, what you’re going to have for dinner tonight, that’s fine. Just acknowledge the thought and gently bring your attention back to the breathing.

It can be easy to get frustrated with the distractions, but the more you practice, the more you’ll be able to sustain your focus. Even as you get distracted by a random thought, each time you gently pull your attention back to your breathing you are improving your mind. You’re training it!

The first time you try it, you’ll probably find you struggle to go thirty seconds without a thought distracting you, but with a bit of practice every day you’ll be able to maintain focus for longer periods of time, and soon enough, you’ll be able to hold your concentration for the entire piece of music!

The simple technique of taming the monkey mind can not only improve your mental health and help relax you, but can also improve your overall mental functioning!

Why not try it? You’ve got nothing to lose!