The things that can distract us during our contemplative prayer periods are many and varied. While we certainly can find our attention divided by internal struggles and the “monkey mind” hopping from thought to another, external stimuli provide plenty of distractions of their own. Early in the contemplative journey, simple sounds like the ticking of a clock, the humming of a light, or a distant lawnmower can leave a person feeling as though a prayer period has been derailed, and the challenge they can present to contemplative practitioners of all levels experience levels shouldn’t be minimized.

How does one combat these distractions? Each person will develop their own habits to help be more readily present to the Presence. But actually, the biggest key to appropriately relating to the distractions that come our way during prayer periods is the same whether the distractions come from within, without, or both: remember that they are not there to be “combatted” at all! Rather, they simply are part of this moment, in which the Godself is forever being revealed. Once we come to this realization, there’s no need to check the clock, turn out the light, or move to a quieter. We simply welcome our distraction as part of the reality of the present moment. Once we realize we don’t need to fight the “distraction,” we’re free to let it go.