Meditation Monday

When My Mind Goes Blank

Last Friday I sat down to write my Meditation Monday and my mind went blank. I had no idea of what my intended topic was. I had so many disconnected thoughts circulating in my brain that it was impossible to focus on one alone.

It’s something that happens to all of us so I thought I should treat it as though it were a gift from God rather than a liability. That made me realize that the best place to start my morning was by exercising the parts of my brain that were still functioning properly and do a little research on the way I felt.

The most common causes of blank mind are anxiety, lack of sleep, medication, change and feeling overwhelmed. This morning I felt I could blame all of those. My lack of sleep and feeling overwhelmed were the major culprits. I suffer from jumpy legs and have experienced several nights lately in which leg pain plus spasms made sleep very difficult. Hopefully it will be relieved by changes in my thyroid medication. On top of that I am still struggling with my brother’s death and other pressures in my life.

While there is a rare condition caused by severe trauma called “blank mind syndrome” occasional mind blankness like I experienced is not something to be afraid or ashamed of. In fact, according to Janis Leslie Evans in What is Mind Blanking? Tips to Get Rid of that Foggy Feeling. it helps to share our problem with others, laugh at ourselves and reset our goals, which is exactly what I decided to do this morning. I’m relishing my blank mind because it has led me into a new area of research, and taught me some new fun facts. It really is a gift and not a liability.

Evidently revisiting a sample of what we wrote or created in the past to remind ourselves of how productive we have been and can be again is helpful. “You are the same person with the same skills” What a great idea I thought. How rarely we remind ourselves of what we have accomplished and applaud ourselves for our productivity. So I picked up a copy of  The Gift of Wonder intending to read some of my favourite portions and exercises but I didn’t get past the first chapter. “What do I enjoy doing that makes me sense God’s pleasure?” I wrote and I realized that was God’s word for me again today. God takes delight in us and what we accomplish and I don’t know about you, but I rarely take time to acknowledge that. So I stacked up the books I have written and thanked God for them. I looked through some of my prayer cards, and admired my Digging Deeper garden which still sits on my desk. Finally I hurried out to the garden which is still ablaze with summer colour. I picked the first of our large tomatoes and admired the beauty of my dahlias. Then I harvested some basil and walked inside with the wonderful aroma still clinging to my clothes.

When blank brain sets in do some deep breathing exercises, center your attention outside of yourself. Take notice of your environment with the help of your senses Evans suggests so now I sit breathing slowly in and out aware of the fragrance of God, all around me. It clings to us at all times yet we rarely pause to notice. Now as I breathe, that wonderful fragrance relaxes me, I collect my thoughts and allow my memory to do its job.

So when blank brain sets in, take some deep breaths and allow the spirit of God to guide you. Like me I am sure you will be able to say “Wow, I think this might be what God wanted me to write about after all.”

NOTE: this post is derived from one I wrote a couple of years ago on Godspacelight.