Releasing the Myth of the Silent Mind & Meditating With an Active Mind, a New Approach to Stillness
- Brainz Magazine
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
Tatyanna Wright is a spiritual transformation coach and host of The Conscious Diva podcast. Her work empowers others to release conditioned identities and live in authentic alignment. She is writing her first book.
For many people, meditation begins with hope and ends with disappointment. You sit down. You close your eyes. And within seconds, your mind lights up and your thoughts race. Your to do lists appear. Old conversations replay. Imaginary exchanges are played out. And somewhere in the background, a quiet judgment arises, I can’t meditate. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not failing.
One of the greatest myths about meditation is that it requires a silent mind from the very beginning. I tell my students that silence is a byproduct of practice, not the entry requirement. For many people, the mind does not go quiet on command. It needs to be met, understood, and gently guided. Meditation, at its core, is not about shutting the mind off. It is about growth, awareness, and the relationship with ourselves.
Why a quiet mind isn’t the only goal
One of the most misunderstood aspects of meditation is the belief that the goal is to quiet the mind.
In truth, the goal of meditation is not silence, but awareness.
Inner awareness must be cultivated. It develops through practice, patience, and relationship. Before the mind can soften into stillness, it often needs space to process, release, and unwind. The thoughts that arise during meditation are not interruptions, they are part of the clearing.
For many people, especially those with active or intuitive minds, meditation begins as a kind of inner decluttering. The mind releases its running lists, unresolved emotions, and stored impressions. This phase is rarely discussed, yet it is essential.
Only after the mind feels heard and allowed does something else begin to emerge. Awareness rises naturally, not through force, but through presence. Over time, this awareness becomes steady enough that what we might describe as a still mind reveals itself, not as emptiness, but as clarity.
Stillness arises when we stop fighting the process and let the mind do what it needs to do. I use a growth based approach to meditation, allowing space for the process and honoring how awareness develops in layers.
Understanding the active mind
An active mind is not a problem to solve. It is information.
Many people who struggle with traditional meditation techniques are deeply perceptive. They feel, sense, imagine, and intuit quickly. Their minds are alive with input, insight, and subtle awareness. Asking this kind of mind to simply stop thinking can feel unnatural or even destabilizing.
Rather than seeing the active mind as an obstacle, we can begin to see it as a collaborator.
When the mind is engaged with intention, it becomes an ally. When it feels ignored or forced into silence, it resists. Meditation becomes far more sustainable when we work with the mind instead of against it.
Techniques for meditating when the mind feels too busy
For an active mind, meditation often works best with a point of focus. This gives the mind something to rest on rather than something to escape.
Here are a few gentle approaches:
Thought awareness meditation
Instead of trying to stop thoughts, allow them to arise while observing them from a slight distance. Notice their tone, speed, or theme. The shift from thinking to witnessing naturally creates space. Writing out a to do list on paper can help empty the mind of thoughts that are important but may cloud our inner world with chatter.
Anchored focus
Choose a simple anchor, such as a candle flame. Each time the mind wanders, return without judgment. The return is the practice. Candle gazing is an ancient concentration practice that helps the mind focus. You can begin by gazing with open eyes at the flame, then move toward visualizing the flame in your mind’s eye with your eyes closed. When you feel your mind drift, gaze at the candle once more.
Inquiry based meditation
Ask a single, open ended question like, “What wants my attention right now?” Then listen. This gives the mind purpose while inviting deeper awareness. Feel in your body what might need to arise. What is being experienced, peace or discomfort? Inquire further by asking, “What is this sensation showing me? What is it connected to?” Dive deeper as you become more proficient.
Micro meditations
Meditation does not need to be long to be effective. One to three minutes of intentional presence, practiced consistently, can be more transformative than occasional long sessions. A micro meditation can take the form of awe. Witness the sunrise, a bird fleeting about, or a beautiful tree in bloom. When we focus on something wondrous, an experience of inner expansion and connection occurs.
Let your attention rest in the feeling of awareness itself. Even if thoughts continue, notice that something quieter is present underneath them. Practice is about cultivation, not performance.
Channeling source light in meditation
For those drawn to a spiritual dimension, meditation can also be a practice of receiving rather than emptying.
Source Light can be understood in many ways, universal life force, divine intelligence, higher awareness, a cosmic connection, or inner wisdom. The language matters less than the experience.
A simple practice might look like this. Sit comfortably and place one hand on your heart. Imagine or sense a soft, luminous light entering through the crown of your head or the center of your chest. Allow this light to gently fill your body, not to change anything, but to illuminate what is already there.
If thoughts arise, let the light move through them. If emotions surface, allow them to be held in this awareness. The mind is no longer something to quiet, but something bathed in presence.
Integrating meditation into daily life
Meditation does not have to live on a cushion or at a set time. For many people, it integrates most naturally into daily rhythms. A few conscious breaths before opening your computer. A moment of presence while walking. A pause before sleep to reconnect inwardly.
Meditation becomes a way of meeting life rather than escaping it, and it adapts to busy schedules, emotional seasons, and changing needs. I often work in a micro practice before work calls to ensure I am present and clear.
Real world benefits: Clarity, transformation, & spiritual connection
When we stop fighting the mind, something remarkable happens. Clarity emerges without force. Emotional regulation improves. Inner resistance softens. Over time, many people develop a deeper trust in their intuition and a more grounded spiritual connection.
Meditation becomes less about control and more about communion. A relationship with oneself, with awareness, and with something greater.
Stillness is a relationship, not a destination
Stillness is not something you achieve by effort. It is something that reveals itself when you feel safe enough to be present.
If you have ever believed meditation wasn’t for you because your mind was “too loud,” consider this an invitation to begin again, not by silencing yourself, but by listening more deeply.
If you would like guidance in developing a meditation practice that honors your unique mind, energy, and spiritual rhythm, I invite you to explore working with me. You can learn more about my offerings, guided practices, and one on one sessions at tatyannawright.com.
Meditation is not about becoming someone else. It is about meeting yourself, exactly where you are, and discovering the stillness that has been there all along.
Editorial pull quote option
“The goal of meditation isn’t to quiet the mind. It’s to cultivate inner awareness. Stillness arises naturally when the mind has been allowed to process and release.”
Read more from Tatyanna Wright
Tatyanna Wright, Transformation Coach/Channel
Tatyanna Wright is a spiritual mentor and transformation coach who integrates shamanic wisdom with modern coaching to support profound personal growth. Her mission is to guide individuals in awakening their inner clarity, reclaiming their personal power, and aligning their lives with their soul’s truth. Through her work, she helps clients strengthen intuitive intelligence, break free from conditioned patterns, and recognize their inherent worth so they can lead themselves and their lives with purpose and integrity.
