By Elizabeth Herman | Posted: May 01, 2018

If noise bothers, distracts, irritates and annoys you when you’re meditating, you can take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Many long-term meditators still experience aggravation when noise is present, coming from sources either outside in the environment or inside their own minds. But here are some tips that may work for you.

Dealing with the noise outside

Whether a huge crowd of people can’t stop talking and laughing, or a party with loud music is going on downstairs, or a crying and screaming baby in a parent’s lap sits next to you on an airplane, sometimes it seems like quiet places to meditate are few and far between. Still, an important skill for meditation is to go deep within despite any outer cacophony.

#1 - Acknowledge the noise and stop fighting it

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a meditation and thought leader, says, "What you resist, persists!" In other words, the more you fight the noise and try to push it away, the more it will bother you.

So what do you do? You rather become aware of it and acknowledge it. You gradually take your attention towards the noisy environment, observe each sound and then return to your breath. This brings your mind to the present moment and helps you settle down. Then, there comes a point when you transcend any noise, and it stops bothering you.

#2 - Slip headphones over your ears

If you are new to the meditation practice and find it hard to do the above initially, a trick that might work for you is to simply slip headphones over your ears and turn on a guided meditation with your phone or laptop.

Dealing with noise inside your mind?

If you have a lot of thoughts during meditation, the tips listed here can help you shut down the noisy mental chatter and meditate peacefully.

#1 Physical exercise

Doing a little bit of physical exercise, such as yoga postures, will help release the restlessness in your body and mind. Movement and stretching bring stillness to the body, silencing the mind.

Doing a few minutes of pranayama would also add even more positive, pacifying, calming effects.

#2 Food that you eat

While we may desire more control over our mind via our thoughts, often the mind has a ‘mind’ of its own that a number of factors, including food, can impact. The relationship between nutrition and how the mind responds to meditation practices becomes obvious when you observe your own long term experiences. Scientific studies have also explored these links.

Eating a vegetarian diet full of green vegetables, fruits, beans and grains will bring you better feelings about the meditative process, and regular meditation will more readily help you to make healthier dietary choices.

#3 Do not fight back the chatter

Once again, the key is accepting. Normally when our mind is full of endless thoughts, we either try to resist them or we get into a constant chatter with ourselves, judging which ones are good and which ones are bad. Resisting and evaluating thoughts does not help because they keep coming back (what you resist, persists!).

But when we accept the thoughts as they come, we transcend and go beyond them, arriving at a state of mind known as ‘witness consciousness.’ By witnessing everything that is happening to the mind, we keep it in the present moment and help it to settle down.

Follow the AOA!

So, the secret in three words is to become “Aware, Observe, and Accept.” If you do this, you will transcend and emerge with an unshakeable smile.

In addition to all the above techniques, instead of continuing to fight noise uselessly, experience the depth by doing an online guided meditation. You can also learn to meditate by joining the next Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Course near you.

By Elizabeth Herman, Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talk