Last session we learned how to deal with external distractions when we meditate. Now we're going to look at how to manage distractions that arise from within, and what we can do when our minds begin to wander and get caught up in thoughts, or we get pulled away from what we're trying to pay attention to by our emotions, or some pain or uncomfortable body sensations.
Watch the video below to learn how to manage mind wandering and what we can do when we get distracted by our thoughts.
We can apply the same technique to our thoughts that we learned last lesson with respect to external distractions. Whenever we notice we've become distracted, we make a silent mental note describing where our minds have gone, and then as best we can, let go of this distraction and redirect our attention back to where we want it. On the next page, we'll take a similar approach to managing strong emotions and body sensations that can carry our minds away from where we want them to be.