Five Myths About Meditation

Enjoy this re-blog. Meditation never goes out of date, and we come back to it again and again.

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My thanks go to to Ashley Turner at Entheos Academy for sharing this wisdom. It clarifies what can get in the way between you and a regular meditation practice.

1 “In Meditation, My Mind Should Be Calm and Quiet” One of the most common myths of meditation is that it’s about “getting rid of thoughts” and experiencing a calm, quiet mind. Meditation is actually about noticing how our mind works, observing the rapid-fire thoughts neutrally and not getting caught up in them.
Meditation is a training of the mind. We train our mind to notice when we get caught up and come back to the present moment. We can still be meditating while we are in the presence of thought.

2 “I Don’t Have Enough Time to Meditate” Remember, mindfulness is a kind of meditation ­– simply being aware of what we are doing in any moment (walking the dog, doing the dishes, using our smartphone). It is building awareness in the present moment – simply being aware of the sensations, thoughts and emotions that arise. We can do this anytime, anywhere.  While the most effective way to build momentum is to sit for a regularly designated sitting meditation, however, even 5 minutes a day or pausing for 10 deep breaths is extremely helpful.

3 “It Feels Like My Mind is More ‘Crazy’ During Meditation” Once we pause and start paying attention to our mind, we begin to see how erratic and addictive it is and how little control we actually have over it. It can be disturbing to realize how unruly our mind is ­– but, remember, meditation is a practice of paying attention. So, making this observation is a sign of progress, not failure.

4 “Meditation Should Be Blissful, But If Feels Like Such Hard Work” The mind is a mirror. When we begin to meditate, we are faced with thoughts and emotions that may be painful or difficult to experience. Meditation can be difficult, tiring and uncomfortable. It is not easy to sit still with unpleasant patterns arising.  We usually see pictures and images of people meditating – sitting in a serene, blissful state. Over time, by bringing our thoughts and emotional patterns into awareness, we begin to learn how to work with them and release them. And, meditation will become easier and more blissful.

5 “I Don’t Think Meditation is Working For Me….I’m Not Seeing Any Results Yet” Like life, our meditation practices will unfold in it’s own time and at its own pace.
Meditation can help heal emotions, alleviate pain, change thought patterns and create more responsive, less impulsive behavior….but, it doesn’t happen overnight.

However, studies show that positive neurological changes and neural integration can occur even within the first few meditation sessions. Consistent, even small, effort is more effective than sporadic, longer, enduring sitting meditation. When we don’t notice life-changing, blissful experiences…we may get discouraged or even feel like quitting. Instead of focusing on how blissful you feel during meditation or how long you can sit, focus on any small changes in your daily life:

•          Are you sleeping better?
•          Are you feeling a bit more positive, motivated and upbeat about life?
•          Are you more able to ‘let go’ of stressful thoughts or impulsive reactions?

These are signs that your meditation practice is working.