The simple practice of meditation can improve your relationships; reduce stress, worry and anxiety and even improve your productivity, performance and focus at work. Unfortunately, however, many potential students are often deterred from starting their own meditation practice by a few widely-held misconceptions about meditation that are simply not true! In this post I'm going to set the record straight about just how simple meditation really is, once and for all
Misconception 1: "I Tried It Once And It Didn't Work"
Maybe you have tried meditation once or twice before and felt disappointed with the results. It's not uncommon for newbies to embark on a new practice expecting immediate peace and bliss only to discover that their minds seem crazier than a bunch of monkeyson speed. This is a completely normal experience - the problem lies in making the assuming after this one experience that meditation simply doesn't work for you. Meditation is a practiceit's something that needs to be done consistently and it can take a while before you begin to experience some of the deeper states of meditation, so patience is crucial.
Misconception 2: "I Just Can't Stop My Thoughts"
A lot of novice meditators mistakenly believe that if they were meditating "successfully", they would be able to switch their thoughts off like a switch in order to experience peace and calm. When they can't seem to be able to stop their thoughts, they often get into an internal struggle trying to resist them or worse, giving up completely. Meditation is about developing enough focus and awareness to simply notice when the mind is wandering, and to keep bringing the mind back to the object of concentration - again and again. There is no need to try to stop thinking altogether!
Misconception 3: "I Don't Have The Time To Meditate
You don't have to sit on your meditation cushion for hours each day in order to experience its beneficial effects. Even just 5 to 20 minutes of meditation per day can be enough. The important thing is to practice often and to schedule time to meditate - we are all busy and we must selectively schedule in time for what is important, so it's simply a matter of making our own mental wellbeing a priority.
Misconception 4: "I Don't Have The Space To Meditate"
It would certainly be nice to be able to meditate in some extraordinary natural location or in a peaceful monastery - but that's hardly practical for most. It really doesn't matter where you do your meditation, as long as you just do it! Find somewhere reasonable quiet where you won't be disturbed for a few minutes, and where you can sit up straight comfortably - it could be sitting up in bed, on the floor, a cushion, a chair or even on a bus!
Misconception 5: "But I'm Not A Buddhist"
While a lot of meditation practices originated from Buddhism, meditation is not inherently religious, and you don't have to subscribe to any particular set of beliefs to meditate. Everyone experiences mental stress, agitation or anxiety from time to time and meditation can be beneficial to everyone - regardless what religion they belong to or even if they are not religious at all. There are, however, many practical and informative meditation classes and retreats held at Buddhist centres in many countries, and they are available to the general public no matter whether one is Buddhist or not.
Hopefully this article has busted some myths that may have been preventing you from starting your own meditation practice. Meditation is truly for everyone and with practice and consistency can change your life in many profound and unexpected ways.
Misconception 1: "I Tried It Once And It Didn't Work"
Maybe you have tried meditation once or twice before and felt disappointed with the results. It's not uncommon for newbies to embark on a new practice expecting immediate peace and bliss only to discover that their minds seem crazier than a bunch of monkeyson speed. This is a completely normal experience - the problem lies in making the assuming after this one experience that meditation simply doesn't work for you. Meditation is a practiceit's something that needs to be done consistently and it can take a while before you begin to experience some of the deeper states of meditation, so patience is crucial.
Misconception 2: "I Just Can't Stop My Thoughts"
A lot of novice meditators mistakenly believe that if they were meditating "successfully", they would be able to switch their thoughts off like a switch in order to experience peace and calm. When they can't seem to be able to stop their thoughts, they often get into an internal struggle trying to resist them or worse, giving up completely. Meditation is about developing enough focus and awareness to simply notice when the mind is wandering, and to keep bringing the mind back to the object of concentration - again and again. There is no need to try to stop thinking altogether!
Misconception 3: "I Don't Have The Time To Meditate
You don't have to sit on your meditation cushion for hours each day in order to experience its beneficial effects. Even just 5 to 20 minutes of meditation per day can be enough. The important thing is to practice often and to schedule time to meditate - we are all busy and we must selectively schedule in time for what is important, so it's simply a matter of making our own mental wellbeing a priority.
Misconception 4: "I Don't Have The Space To Meditate"
It would certainly be nice to be able to meditate in some extraordinary natural location or in a peaceful monastery - but that's hardly practical for most. It really doesn't matter where you do your meditation, as long as you just do it! Find somewhere reasonable quiet where you won't be disturbed for a few minutes, and where you can sit up straight comfortably - it could be sitting up in bed, on the floor, a cushion, a chair or even on a bus!
Misconception 5: "But I'm Not A Buddhist"
While a lot of meditation practices originated from Buddhism, meditation is not inherently religious, and you don't have to subscribe to any particular set of beliefs to meditate. Everyone experiences mental stress, agitation or anxiety from time to time and meditation can be beneficial to everyone - regardless what religion they belong to or even if they are not religious at all. There are, however, many practical and informative meditation classes and retreats held at Buddhist centres in many countries, and they are available to the general public no matter whether one is Buddhist or not.
Hopefully this article has busted some myths that may have been preventing you from starting your own meditation practice. Meditation is truly for everyone and with practice and consistency can change your life in many profound and unexpected ways.
About the Author:
Sharee James is a naturopath and a yoga and meditation instructor with a special interest in holistic mental health. For more information on meditation check out her Youtube video How To Meditate or visit her website at http://www.ashimaliving.com/
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