here is an old Zen adage that says “You should sit in mediation every day for twenty minutes, unless you 're too busy - then you should sit for an hour.” But what happens if we think we 're not cut out for mediation or that that we 're no good at it?
I’m not actually surprised anymore when people tell me that they can’t meditate, or that they cant stop their thoughts long enough to meditate, or that they sat down for five minutes to meditate and it just didn 't work. I remember feeling the same way when I first started my meditation practice. Mediation is not easy to come by, but it is available for everyone. Here are a few myths about meditation that I can hopefully help dispel so that inner peace is accessible to everyone, even those who …show more content…
Find a comfortable position either sitting on the floor if you can sit comfortably without fidgeting for an extended period of time or in a chair. There really is no right way to do it but I don 't suggest lying down when first starting a meditation practice because it is too easy to fall asleep or get spacy. Then bring the attention inward, to the breath. For the first few cycles of breath, just notice it. Don 't try to change it and don 't judge it. Just observe it. After you 've dropped into your breath, count in for five on the inhale and out for five on the exhale. Allow the inhalation to have a beginning, a middle and an end. Allow the exhalation to have a beginning, a middle and an end. Slowly lengthen the breath until the inhale is for eight and the exhale is for …show more content…
And it feels like it’s not that hard to get overwhelmed by the energy of these thoughts. It’s a process and it takes time to be able to stop the thoughts and a lot of practice. Like, a lot. Distracting thoughts are the norm for almost everyone. I promise, we are not alone in that. We are riddled with projections and preconceptions that the perfect meditation is out there but not available to us. It just ain’t so.
How to overcome this myth:
Allow the thoughts to arise and meet them without judgment. Just notice when they come in, acknowledge that the thought is there and then let it go. Be the “seer” or the watcher of the thoughts. When we let the thoughts become what is being seen we automatically have control of the mind. I like to picture my thoughts floating away on a cloud. Every time a thought comes in, receive it, allow it to float away on a cloud and then return to your breath.
Which brings me back to the breath. Using the breath is a fantastic way to drop in to the body and tune out the rest of the world. I like to find a quiet little space, sit comfortably and turn my attention inward to my breath. I count my breaths backwards from ten to zero. This is my time to settle in to the practice of watching my thoughts float away until it feels effortless. Sometimes I use a mantra, other times I use a pranavayu. But I always use the breath to help me tune
I’m not actually surprised anymore when people tell me that they can’t meditate, or that they cant stop their thoughts long enough to meditate, or that they sat down for five minutes to meditate and it just didn 't work. I remember feeling the same way when I first started my meditation practice. Mediation is not easy to come by, but it is available for everyone. Here are a few myths about meditation that I can hopefully help dispel so that inner peace is accessible to everyone, even those who …show more content…
Find a comfortable position either sitting on the floor if you can sit comfortably without fidgeting for an extended period of time or in a chair. There really is no right way to do it but I don 't suggest lying down when first starting a meditation practice because it is too easy to fall asleep or get spacy. Then bring the attention inward, to the breath. For the first few cycles of breath, just notice it. Don 't try to change it and don 't judge it. Just observe it. After you 've dropped into your breath, count in for five on the inhale and out for five on the exhale. Allow the inhalation to have a beginning, a middle and an end. Allow the exhalation to have a beginning, a middle and an end. Slowly lengthen the breath until the inhale is for eight and the exhale is for …show more content…
And it feels like it’s not that hard to get overwhelmed by the energy of these thoughts. It’s a process and it takes time to be able to stop the thoughts and a lot of practice. Like, a lot. Distracting thoughts are the norm for almost everyone. I promise, we are not alone in that. We are riddled with projections and preconceptions that the perfect meditation is out there but not available to us. It just ain’t so.
How to overcome this myth:
Allow the thoughts to arise and meet them without judgment. Just notice when they come in, acknowledge that the thought is there and then let it go. Be the “seer” or the watcher of the thoughts. When we let the thoughts become what is being seen we automatically have control of the mind. I like to picture my thoughts floating away on a cloud. Every time a thought comes in, receive it, allow it to float away on a cloud and then return to your breath.
Which brings me back to the breath. Using the breath is a fantastic way to drop in to the body and tune out the rest of the world. I like to find a quiet little space, sit comfortably and turn my attention inward to my breath. I count my breaths backwards from ten to zero. This is my time to settle in to the practice of watching my thoughts float away until it feels effortless. Sometimes I use a mantra, other times I use a pranavayu. But I always use the breath to help me tune