Switching off isn't so easy

I've jumped on the meditation bandwagon recently. Originally reserved for hippies, meditation has now belongs in the “cool thing to do” category, along with yoga and pilates.

But it’s more than a fad for me – it’s a health matter.  Being an anxious person by nature, it was recommended to me by my doctor as a relaxing technique.

The first time I tried it, I begun googling how to meditate, which kind of seemed like an oxymoron. "Free your mind" the websites told me. "Place yourself in a room with no distractions." I peered anxiously at my surroundings - a lit-up iphone, a laptop, and a heater that kept buzzing annoyingly. Not a great start.

I set my ipod to "rainforest sounds" to cover the noise of the traffic outside. Hmm. "Free your mind" I thought.

"Well this isn't so hard," (my mind) continued. "Wait - did I forget to pick up my dry-cleaning? Uh oh. Didn't free mind. Start again. Ummmm......free mind free mind..."

Cue iphone ringing. Back to square one.

Was it always this hard to just be alone, doing absolutely nothing? Or has the endless "need to be reached constantly" killed any hope of that?

I’m talking mobiles, Facebook check-ins, endless twitter updates on what we’re eating for lunch. It’s a scary thought that if we wanted; everyone could know what we’re doing at any time, every second, of every day.

But it’s not just that.

I don't even have kids, but in the midst of my attempted meditation, I wondered how on earth a Mother could sit alone in silence for more than 5 minutes when I know for a fact some can’t even go to the bathroom on their own without being interrupted.

I'm told there are other forms of "meditation" though – it doesn't have to be sitting in a room by yourself.

It is defined as “anything relaxing that you take pleasure in doing with just you and you alone” – from getting a massage or reading a great book. Whatever it is, it should be regular, the (google) experts say.

But with all the distractions in the world – is that really possible anymore?

In my room, I grudgingly switched off the iphone, the laptop and the ipod, and it was finally just me and the sound of...nothing.

At first it was a bit weird. There’s always something on – whether it be the TV, someone talking, whatever. But eventually, I was thinking of absolutely nothing and when I got up around 15 minutes later, I arose in a dreamy, Zen-like state of calm. Nothing could faze me.

It seemed I had to switch off, to really switch off.

Of course, that lasted approximately 10.5 seconds until I misplaced my car keys and was running around the house like a madwoman - but hey, baby steps.

What's your form of "meditation?" Do you struggle to find time to yourself on a regular basis?