Are you struggling to meditate? Here are nine reasons why you don’t meditate and how to make it easier for you to reap its benefits.
Meditation is one of the essential pillars of wellness (like exercise), but for some reason, we never seem to get to it.
In fact, before finally committing to the practice, I also toyed around with the idea for months.
The cycle would go something like this: I listen to an inspiring podcast about the benefits of meditation, fired up with inspiration I get on YouTube, try it, wonder what the hype is about, get bored and forget about it.
The reason meditation bored me was because I did not fully understand the benefits of the practice to both my body and brain.
Secondly, I had the wrong expectations along with a list of excuses on why I couldn’t meditate.
If you relate to any of these nine reasons, then you know that some misinformation is holding you back from reaping the benefits of meditation.
I Don’t Have Time to Meditate.
Time strapped, overwhelmed, and stressed applies to almost every adult in the 21st century, so who honestly has time to meditate?
Apparently, a growing number of busy executives and top performers in different fields.
Even the legendary Mahatma Gandhi is quoted to have said, “I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.”
Wait! What?
Uhmmm, yes, meditation can save you time in the long run. We all know a stressed mind is not productive.
The regular practice of meditation reduces stress and increases concentration, which leads to increased productivity.
In short, if meditate regularly, you will eventually do more work within the same amount of time.
Fear Of Becoming Too Zen
Yes, this is an actual fear I had and suspect a lot more people have it.
The spiritual aspect of meditation can be intimidating and a turn off for many people.
If you are like me, you may have zero interest in chakras, crystals, or spiritual ceremonies.
All you want is to be peaceful, have more balance, and take control of your mind.
Meditation was indeed discovered within religious contexts; however, most techniques in the west have been simplified.
You can choose from a wide range of meditation techniques that many other non-spiritual people practice for health and well-being without ever becoming “Zen.”
I Hate Meditation or Meditation is Difficult.
Meditation is not always fun; in fact, there were times I hated it.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you also hated meditation after making a brief attempt at the practice.
Why? Because unlike other activities in life, the success of our meditation efforts depends entirely on our attitude.
If you go into it with strong expectations and a deadline, you will be disappointed.
Additionally, if you see the practice as a way to fight your thoughts or actively empty your mind, you will also end up disappointed.
The antidote is to think of meditation as a process that is a benefit by itself; there is no fighting or even a goal to achieve.
The process becomes simply a way for you to regulate your attention and train the mind to calmly respond to life instead of reacting.
Meditation Is Boring
Two things make meditation boring. The first is because you haven’t found the right meditation technique that is suitable for you.
Secondly, the attitude you bring to meditation matters.
We are all different, what works for one person, sends another to sleep, and that’s not a bad thing.
There are several meditation techniques to choose from, find what works for you.
If you can’t sit still and pay attention to your breath, you try walking meditation before deciding meditation is not for you.
Consequently, don’t start meditation with high expectations (like getting enlightened). Simply be positive, stay consistent, and keep an open mind.
If you keep at it with an open mind, meditation becomes a real pleasure that doesn’t suffer from the down-regulation experienced with money and sex.
Meditation Will Make Me Emotionless
But won’t meditation turn me into a soulless robot devoid of all emotional expression? Uhm No, unless you want to become one.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy breaks our mind down to three states: Reasonable mind, Emotional Mind, and Wise Mind.
The Reasonable mind is the part of our brain that is logical and loves to solve problems or create a few more when none exists.
The Emotional mind is reactive and makes decisions based on feelings.
Lastly, the Wise mind is the bridge between the two.
Meditation strengthens your wise mind so that not only do you feel your emotions without becoming a slave to them but that you also understand them better.
Surprisingly, having the inner freedom to feel your emotions while responding instead of reacting to them is one of the life-changing benefits of meditation.
Meditation is a Way To escape Life’s Problems.
Shouldn’t you be taking action to solve your problems instead of spending an hour meditating?
Indeed, they were times when I asked myself the same question before a meditation session.
However, I and anyone that has done meditation for a modest length of time know that it’s the other way around; meditation forces you to look at the things you are trying to run away from clearly.
To escape your problems, you need a distraction (see why you should quit social media) or mood-altering substances like alcohol.
Meditation is neither; consequently, it is a way to look at yourself without distractions, and if you are hoping to use it as a form of escape, you will be disappointed.
In addition to helping you see things clearly; Meditation enables you to take control of your mind and use your internal resources to solve problems.
It Takes Years To Benefit From Meditation
Research shows that you can start reaping the physical and mental health benefits of meditation in as little as eight weeks of daily practice.
Of course, long term meditators will have more benefits than a beginner.
So, it’s essential to learn to loosen up in your approach to meditation and to relax into your session.
New meditators tend to be overly eager for results (as I was); this causes tension, striving, and turns the practice into a serious sport.
If your goal is to attain a fearless state beyond all suffering, then it will likely take a long time.
However, if all you want is a bit more peace and balance in your life, a few weeks will do!
Meditation is just another name for relaxation and a Waste Of Time.
Yes, meditation is indeed a form of relaxation; ironically, that is also why you need it.
Meditation uses relaxation coupled with purposeful and directed focus, as well as self-examination, to guide you to a deeper state of consciousness.
Through self-examination, we get to challenge our conditioning and consciously chose to change any patterns of behavior that may be self-defeating.
Not only do we get to break free from our conditioning, but we also gain insight, clarity, and calmness that extends to every area of our lives.
Meditation Just Another Trend So Why Bother?
Meditation is not just another trend. It’s been around for thousands of years.
The goal of meditation is to gain control over your mind, remember the mind dictates our emotions, actions, and ultimate success in life.
The mind naturally gravitates towards the negative, left to the default network of the brain; we can experience negative waves of emotion, including inadequacy, excessive fear, anxiety, depression, and anger.
The state of our mind explains why you can have everything and still be miserable.
Meditation helps us step back and ask, are the thoughts am thinking true?
Meditation can also help us mastermind our attention by consciously choosing what we want to focus our attention on and giving it a chance to grow instead of letting the mind do the choosing for us.
Now that we have the excuses out of the way, let’s focus on solutions.
I understand that Meditation is also a habit that might take some time to get used, so how do we make it easier for you to meditate and stick to the practice?
6 Ways To Make it Easier To Stick To Meditation
Seth Gillihan, over at Psychologytoday gives a few suggestions to help remove the barriers to meditation.
- Find a regular time. When you build meditation practice into a routine, you can avoid having to ask ourselves, “Should I meditate now?”.
- Make it a ritual. Lighting a candle at the beginning of your meditation can help signal to your subconscious mind that it time to relax; in turn, your subconscious will take over make it easier to stick to the practice.
- Keep it brief. There is no minimum number of minutes you must meditate. You can quickly get started with these 3-minute meditations.
- Find a comfortable posture. Being uncomfortable while meditating won’t increase your desire to do it. For example, if sitting on the floor doesn’t work for you, try sitting on a chair or a meditation cushion.
- Release expectations. When we bring a “beginner’s mind” to each practice, being open and curious about what will happen this time, meditation becomes more effortless.
- Introduce Essential Oils. Essential Oils such as sandalwood can aid meditation by uplifting and focusing the mind for those who struggle to calm the mind down.
Science shows us that we can all benefit from meditation, so if you still have concerns about starting the practice, let me know in the comment section, and I will personally reach out.
With Love,
Sania.
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