Distractions during meditation

(A more didactic version of Letting go of thoughts in meditation)

1. There should be minimal use of energy in meditation. An efficient brain is in a state of 'flow', without distractions or random emotions. (dhyāna is taila-dhāra, from Vyāsa's Yoga Sūtra Bhāṣya)

2. When my attention is on a new chain of thoughts, returning to the previous thought or idea or object of meditation involves a very simple technique - letting go of the new thought.

3. I suggest or desire mildly that my mental "hand" relax and let go, like my hand letting go of the string of a thought balloon. My attention naturally drifts back to the previous thought.

4. One subtle point - my focus should be on the heart, most of the time. Letting go of distracting thoughts should not take up most of the meditation. If it does, I am struggling with distractions, rather than resting in the heart.

5. Letting go should become easier with practice. I must be gentle, but ruthless, and be able to detach from any and all distractions.

6. Thought and/or emotion streams will first come from the conscious level and then from the subconscious level.

7. Those from deeper levels may be more intense, more subtle, and more engaging - positively or negatively.

8. The ability to detach increases with practice.

9. abhyāsa vairāgyabhyām tat nirodhaḥ - says Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, referring to how yoga - citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ - is achieved.

10. True thoughtlessness comes after cleaning away samskaras. Bhog, or unwinding of samskaras, in meditation or sleep, or through daily experiences, generate thoughts.