Meditation is HARD! Let's Debunk This Myth

I have been practicing meditation for years… and it is certainly one of my go-to practices to calm my mind, get more in tune with my body, feel more grounded and centered and to shift perspective. This doesn’t necessarily mean I am “good at it”, nor do I choose to judge myself on this, for this is where I feel most of us end up feeling that perhaps meditation is just too hard, and we may end up giving up on it.

 I would like to debunk several myths that I have heard about meditation right here and now.

Meditation is NOT meant to stop or control our thoughts.

We have thousands of thoughts that go through our minds each day (recent research indicates over 6,000 thoughts each day, and I was told by my Zen meditation master that it is well over 30,000 thoughts each day). Over my years of studying meditation… there are so many ways you can look at it.

Meditation is a matter of focused attention on something for a duration of time. Meditation can be a matter of focusing on something internal, like your breath pattern, perhaps even counting the length of your inhale and exhale as you breathe. To add another level to this, the practice of mindful meditation is to release your judgment on your observations.

In the Zen style of meditation, you may choose to focus on the space between your thoughts. Even the millisecond between your thoughts. If you become more aware of this, you will find a sense of calmness as your mind takes those mini breaks between thoughts, and over time, this will increase!

Meditation does NOT have to be done sitting down.

For many, repeated simple movements, such as walking, running, hiking can achieve a meditative state. By focusing your mind on your steps, or by intentionally observing the environment around you, you are in fact allowing yourself to reach a mindful state in motion. I, personally, find rock climbing to be one of my meditative practices. Everything is in absolute flow when I allow myself to be fully present in the moment, with all of my physical, mental and emotional energy connected with my surroundings and the movement over the rock face.

Qigong is another beautiful practice of meditation with movement. For some who have “tried meditation” or have found other meditation practices to be difficult, this can be an incredible way to get into it! Qigong combines focusing your breath with visualization and slow, gentle movements. You can read more about it here.

Meditation does NOT Have to be done in silence.

Some meditative practices are done in silence, but this is not a requirement! For some, music, or outdoor sounds, humming and chanting may be ways to achieve and enhance their meditations. Guided meditations involve following a voice and potentially also some music, sound bowls or other vibrational instruments for the meditation practice.

Meditation does NOT just have one way of being practiced.

There is no specific RIGHT or WRONG way to meditate. If you follow the main principle of focusing your attention on something for a duration of time, you are meditating. If you can add in the principle of observation without judgment, then you are in a state of mindful meditation.

Meditation is a practice. It gives us the opportunity to become aware of things that perhaps we are not aware of. It gives us the opportunity to learn to shift our perspective, and respond to our emotions, thoughts and external inputs in a different way. Over time, meditation can be a very powerful way of rewiring our brains and assist us in developing neural pathways for new habits.

Meditation does NOT have to take a long period of time.

Meditation can be done in a matter of moments. It is better to fit in a few moments, then to not engage in the practice at all. I find it more beneficial to have mini meditation moments throughout the day, rather than pushing through and needing a much longer time period to reset. It’s the same with anything… isn’t it better to take mini-breaks over the days, weeks, months and years, rather than waiting until you are overworked and burnt out?

The other thing that is incredible about meditation, or any calmness inducing practice, is that the more you practice it, the faster your body and mind can get there. Also… the more you practice, the more your body and mind realize how much they really like this state of being, and desire to achieve it!

Here is an example of a mini-meditation practice. Pause whatever it is you are doing. Bring awareness to your breath, count the length of the inhale, then count the length of the exhale. Try this without the intent of changing the pace of your breath, or analysis, just observation. Do this for several breaths with focused attention. See how your body and mind shifts:)

Are you willing?

If you have found the concept of meditation to be “too hard” before, has this shifted your perspective? Are you willing to try again?

As you can tell, I am a strong proponent of the practice of meditation… in fact, the many practices of meditation! The benefits can include reducing stress in your life, calming your mind, shifting your perspective, reducing judgment on yourself and others, and healing on all levels (physical, mental and emotional).

If you are new to meditation, or would like to try a form of it, I strongly encourage you to consider what it is that you may already do in your day-to-day that would fall under the category of meditation or mindfulness. If you would like some support on this, please reach out! I guide my clients to enhance their meditation practices with intention, for when you are able to calm your mind over time, you can see things more clearly; and it is with this clarity that you can begin to really shift and transform. Even for those who have told me they “can’t meditate”, we find the practices that work for them.

Do you have a meditation practice? I would love to hear about it!

I also have a free guided meditation download for you. Download it here!