Billy C.
For me, it was much easier to meditate for a longer time, when I started telling myself before it, that the purpose is not to maintain focus on breath and relaxed state of mind and body all the time, but to constantly return to this state. So, if you get distracted, caught in your thoughts, but then focus on your breath again – it's exactly how it should be. 100 times distracted – 100 times returned to "here and now", then you're the winner.
Another thing that was making it hard for me to meditate longer than 5 minutes was a physical inconvenience and the thought: "I don't want to do it any longer, I just want to stop". Then I started to just note this thoughts and sensations, without getting attached to them, just stating the fact: "my back hurts" or "I feel the desire to stop the practice". Just note it, admit that you have those feelings, don't try to suppress them, but not dive into them, observe from the distance.
Summing up, it's important to view the meditation as an active process: as training or exercising. It's not daydreaming. We train our minds and bodies not only to focus on the present moment but also fight a bad habit of instant gratification. In this sense, the less you want to continue meditation, and the more thoughts and feelings try to make you stop, the better – because then it's a real challenge, which means the exercise will be effective. Hope that my experience can be useful.
Good luck with your practice!
Another thing that was making it hard for me to meditate longer than 5 minutes was a physical inconvenience and the thought: "I don't want to do it any longer, I just want to stop". Then I started to just note this thoughts and sensations, without getting attached to them, just stating the fact: "my back hurts" or "I feel the desire to stop the practice". Just note it, admit that you have those feelings, don't try to suppress them, but not dive into them, observe from the distance.
Summing up, it's important to view the meditation as an active process: as training or exercising. It's not daydreaming. We train our minds and bodies not only to focus on the present moment but also fight a bad habit of instant gratification. In this sense, the less you want to continue meditation, and the more thoughts and feelings try to make you stop, the better – because then it's a real challenge, which means the exercise will be effective. Hope that my experience can be useful.
Good luck with your practice!
Clayton F.
What if you played a game, a game that goes like this : Focus on your breath, feeling it in, feeling it out. I'm sure you heard that part already. Now, here comes the real game: every time you get distracted, first do not worry, it's part of the game, and second try to be curious about the distraction, contemplate your mind at work trying to distract you, and have fun witnessing all the ways it uses to try and do so. Before you know 5 minutes will have passed 🙂
You might think, "oh but that's not _real_ meditation", to that I say you aren't born Olympic running champion, you first have to learn to walk, when it becomes obvious how to do so, the next step isn't so daunting, and the next, and the next,…
Have fun ☺️
Kurt T.
Try to not focus on your body but your spirit and eventually you won't want to shift around. I usually sit or lie down most of the time. Other time I stand straight and tall! Blessed be!
Eileen Z.
Practice. Every meditation is different. It's supposed to be erratic with thoughts. Being completely zen & clear-headed isn't the goal. There is no goal. Some days it'll be full of thoughts, others are more empty. After every time though the mind will be less distracted & more focused.
Mya Z.
Always come back to the breath. And do not focus on the time, just observe your thoughts and breath. It is ok to have thoughts. It all depends on how you react to it
Wesley E.
I prep ahead, have one place for meditation, usually facing a window, with a comfy chair, and background music to masked outside noise. Less distraction. More focus. Another is that I made it known to my companions do not disturb me during those times.
Kylian S.
Honestly u dont need to do it for 5 min. Meditation is not about forcing yourself to do it but to relax and unwind to clear and focus your mind. Start small and continue to grow step by step. Have fun and good luck on your journey.
Tristan P.
You don't. Best is to sit on the ground or on a chair in an upright position.
J Ssica Q.
The simple answer is to increase your meditation time by a couple seconds every time you do it. Try moving up by just 5 seconds each session. Start out at 5 minutes. Then try 5 minutes and 5 seconds. Then 5 minutes and 10 seconds. If you just keep with that simple action and be patient, you'll get up there very quickly 🙂
Alberte Z.
It's hard at the beginning. When you're first starting, 5 minutes is enough. I did just 5 minutes for the first month or so. Then increase to 10, then 15, etc. I've been doing this for about a year and I recently just increased to 25 minutes. Sitting for more than 5 minutes will come more naturally after practice. You learn to watch your thoughts float by instead of engaging in each one. You also learn to focus on and embrace the different sensations on your body. It's also easier when you use a guided meditation, like headspace. Headspace is an amazing app and I used it when I first began.
