meditation issues Archives - NURTURE YOUR SPIRIT

Why Is My Heart Racing During Meditation?

February 11, 2024

If you’ve experienced a racing heartbeat during meditation you know it’s not very pleasant. It can even be a bit of a scary experience. Why does this happen and can you even stop it? The truth is your heart might be racing for several reasons during meditation. One is that you’re simply becoming aware of your heartbeat during mindful practice which can be a jarring experience. You might also be experiencing some anxiety which could be speeding up your heartrate. It’s also possible that your body is tapping into a divine energy known as Kundalini, though this is not the most likely reason. Whichever of these you’re experiencing, none of them are dangerous or need to be worried about. You’re becoming aware of your heartbeat You might simply be raising your awareness enough to start truly feeling your heartbeat for the first time. If you’ve never really slowed down enough to feel your powerful heart pumping blood it can be a jarring experience. The fact may be that your heart isn’t actually speeding up, but your awareness is just becoming deep enough to notice the heart beating very intensely. This can then actually cause anxiety which then leads to your heart racing more. Meditation may be causing you anxiety This probably sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes meditation can actually cause anxiety. Meditation can cause us to see a lot of anxiety inducing things about ourselves. You might be experiencing meditation anxiety. Maybe feeling your heartbeat itself is anxiety inducing which is causing thoughts of your own mortality and the thought “this is the only thing keeping me alive”. That’s a powerful thought which can lead to a fear response in the body. This can lead to a cyclical effect where feeling your heartbeat creates a fear response which then releases adrenaline which causes an even higher heart rate. Kundalini can cause a racing heartbeat Though unlikely you may also be experiencing a release of Kundalini energy. Kundalini is a powerful divine energy that resides in the body which can be triggered by practices like deep meditation. The symptoms of Kundalini being awakened in the body include racing heart, body shakes, feeling energy shooting up the body. What can you do about a racing heart during meditation? There are a couple approaches you can take to a racing heart during meditative practice. 1. Continue meditating anyways The first thing you can do is sit through the discomfort and continue meditating anyways. A racing heart is usually caused by fear in minds which our body responds to. To get over this simply become aware of the racing heart and continue meditating anyways. You’re more than likely not in any physical danger. 2. Surrender into the experience A racing heartbeat is a sign showing you something causing you fear. This is your sign to dive in further. If you find yourself with an unexpected racing heart during meditation, the best course of action is to feel more deeply into it. This could be a call to surrender and discover what’s truly causing it. By surrendering you will start to dissolve any fear around the experience and find out what lays on the otherside of this strange racing heart phenomenon. 3. See a doctor If you’re concerned that this goes beyond just a psychological response and you’re having chest pain then you may need to see a medical professional. It’s also possible you may actually be having a medical issue that needs to be seen by a cardiologist. Though this is likely not the case, use your best discretion and know when it’s time to go the ER. What Does It All Mean? Racing heartbeats are signs given to us by our body during meditation. It’s your job to dive more deeply into it during meditation to discover what that message is. You may be experiencing anxiety for a variety of reasons that is creating a bodily fear response. More likely than not this will pass within a few minutes.

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Seeing Colors During Meditation? What It All Means

August 20, 2023

Have you noticed strange colors, visuals, or patterns during your meditation practice? During deep meditative sessions, you might start to see certain colors even though your eyes are closed. In fact, it’s more common than you might think. Why you might ask? The reason you may be seeing certain colors during meditation could be due to closed eye visuals (or phosphenes) being created from increased eye pressure. Another possibility is that you may be getting into deep meditative states where you can begin to view your energetic or chakra system. Closed Eye Visuals (Phosphenes) Have you ever rubbed your eyes a little too hard to then be surprised by a colorful burst of light? You may be experiencing a phenomenon known as phosphenes. These closed eye visuals are simply an illusion created by your brain to interpret the unknown optical nerve signals. It’s possible that this can happen during meditation if you’re closing your eye lids tightly or rubbing your eyes. The good news is that this is a perfectly natural phenomenon and is nothing to worry about. Simply relax your eyelids or open your eyes and continue to meditate. Viewing Your Energetic System Another likely cause of this color appearance during meditation is that you’re beginning to sense your internal energetic system. We are energetic beings with a deep and complex chakra system in which energy or prana flows. When you get into deep meditative states you may begin to become aware of this bodily energy system. This can look like a swirling color in your consciousness or simply be a vague blurry color in your mind. During particularly deep meditations you can really crank up the dial on your consciousness, sometimes to these point where you can sense these metaphysical aspects of reality. The color that manifests itself in your minds eye is usually correlated to the most energized and active chakra in your body. > see my article “Why Are My Ears Ringing During Meditation?” Meditation Color Meanings The colors viewed in meditation are most likely tied to a specific spiritual energy. The best way to describe them is with the 7 chakras of the body. Seeing a particular color may signify either an abundance or a lack of that particular energy (though it’s most likely an abundance). Red The Root Chakra (Muladhara) The color red in meditation is related to the root chakra which is responsible for our basic human needs, primal instincts, and anchoring self to Earth. If you’re seeing red during meditation, it may mean that you’re grounded to physical reality and you feel safe and secure. Orange The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana) If you’re seeing the color orange it may mean you have access to a lot of sacral energy. The Sacral chakra and seeing orange during meditation are responsible for sexual function, creative expression, and regulating some emotions. Yellow The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) The color yellow is reflective of accessing an abundance of your solar plexus chakra energy. Seeing yellow could mean you’re accessing the part of yourself that is responsible for your personal power and confidence. Green The Heart Chakra (Anahata) Seeing the color green during meditation is reflective of accessing your heart chakra energy. This means you’re sensing and tapping into the part of your energy system responsible for compassion, empathy, and balancing your higher and lower selves. Blue The Throat Chakra (Vishuddha) If you see the color blue during meditation it’s reflective of accessing your throat chakra energy. Seeing blue means your tapping into the part of your energy system responsible for self expression and speaking/ acting out your truth. Indigo The Third Eye Chakra (Ajna) Indigo is one of the most commonly reported colors seen when meditating. The color indigo or a blueish purple color appears when you’re accessing your third eye chakra. The color indigo appearing during meditation is indicative of you accessing your intuition, higher consciousness, and universal wisdom. Violet The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) Violet or purple can appear in meditation practice when you access your crown chakra. If you see the color violet you may be accessing the part of your energy system responsible for enlightenment and connecting with the spiritual forces outside of you in the universe. Is This Something to Worry About? Seeing colors appear in your mind during meditation is nothing to worry about. It’s most likely you accessing parts of you energy system in states of higher consciousness from deep meditation. This is something very exciting! It means you’re raising your awareness level and accessing previously undiscovered parts of yourself. If you’re experiencing vision disturbances or prolonged phosphenes after meditation you should go to your doctor or optometrist. Otherwise, it’s most likely a sign of you connecting with your internal spiritual energy system. > see my article “Struggling To Meditate? 7 Common Issues And Their Solutions”

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Struggling To Meditate? 7 Common Issues And Their Solutions

February 25, 2023

Meditation is great right? Until you end up cross-legged on the floor stressing yourself out over not being able to focus. This can often leave you feeling frustrated, restless, or even doubtful during your meditation practice. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Meditation can be a challenging practice, especially when you’re just starting out. There are a few common reasons why people struggle with meditation, and luckily, we have the solutions to help you overcome them. Today, we’re going to explore seven of the most common reasons why people struggle to meditate and give you some practical solutions to help deepen your practice and find more peace. 7 Common Meditation Struggles 1. “Am I doing it right?” You may be thinking that there is a right or wrong way to meditate. And if there is a right way to meditate, then you definitely don’t want to do it wrong! Thankfully, there is no right way to meditate. You may want to focus or clear your mind, but the truth is that meditative practice can be whatever you want it to be. In fact, there is even a meditation technique called the “do nothing technique” where you sit and let your mind wander to whatever it wants to think about. Try to leave all expectations of your meditation session at the door before you begin. Your expectations of what “ought” to be done in a meditation session may make you self-conscious and frustrated when you find your mind wandering. As long as you’re taking a few minutes to 2. You can’t stop thinking Many people think that meditation means that they have to clear their mind of all thoughts, and they must be doing it wrong if thoughts keep popping up. However, thoughts aren’t something to be afraid of or avoided in meditation. Instead of judging yourself when thoughts arise and trying to force them out, try accepting your thoughts and allowing them to pass through your mind. Meditation is about accepting the present moment fully and allowing all sensations, thoughts, and feelings to arise and pass away. Your only job is to notice everything that comes up. When a thought comes up just try to notice it, but don’t resist it. There is always another thought to be had, and trying to control them is just going to leave you feeling frustrated. When you start to allow your thoughts to come and go as they please without judgment, you can start to take a step back from them. 3. You feel bored Boredom is a very common problem during meditation. Sometimes it can feel like you’re just sitting there, doing nothing, and your mind starts to wander off to all the other things you could be doing. One of the best things you can do if you’re feeling bored during meditation is to approach your meditation practice with curiosity and openness to whatever arises. If there is boredom, just notice your boredom like you would any other emotion or thought. Just like you would notice any feelings of anxiety or sadness during meditation you can notice your boredom too. It is just another feeling after all. You can also experiment with different types of meditation, such as guided meditations or mantra meditations to help keep your mind engaged and focused. 4. Not feeling motivated to meditate Feeling unmotivated to meditate can be particularly frustrating for people trying to establish a meditation habit. It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and feel like you don’t have time to meditate or that it’s not worth the effort. If you don’t feel motivated to meditate, don’t beat yourself up, this is a very common problem. Remember why you got into meditation in the first place. Reestablish your “why”. Maybe you want to improve your focus, become more patient with loved ones, or release stress from your day. The benefits of meditation really are innumerable. If sitting down in unmoving silence just seems completely unappealing to you, you luckily have other options. The awesome thing about mindful practice is that you can apply it to just about any area of your life. Try mindfully making a meal. Pay close attention and focus your awareness on every vegetable chopped, the sound of the water boiling, or the taste of the delicious meal you just made. Another one of my favorite meditative mindfulness practices is going for a walk. Take a mindful walk and make an intention to be present and mindful of everything that you hear, see, and feel during it. 5. You can’t stay awake Sometimes meditation can leave you feeling so relaxed that you end up falling asleep! This happens more often than you think. The time of day that you meditate will affect how sleepy you are and the likelihood that you’ll fall asleep during your meditation. Some people will actually meditate at night on purpose to help them fall asleep, but if you’re not trying to fall asleep I’d recommend earlier in the day. Morning meditations can be a great way to start your day with a clear mind. Afternoon or midday meditations are also a great alternative to those sleepy nighttime meditations to help you take a break from your day. If you have trouble staying awake during a meditation make sure to check your posture. You’re much more likely to fall asleep if you’re meditating lying down. Try meditating in a chair or upright on the floor to stay alert and awake for the duration of your meditation. 6. Feeling frustrated or irritated Feeling irritation and frustration during meditation is very common. Whether it’s directed at yourself, the meditation or the environment around you frustration can keep you from relaxing and enjoying the benefits of mindfulness. Anger is a common emotion and like all other emotions that arise during meditative practice, we should begin to deal with it just by becoming aware of it. Notice your frustration as it arises and just hold it in

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