3 Common Meditation Myths
I often hear these three things when asking people about meditation. “I’m not good at meditating.” or “Meditation is not for me”, and almost always “I don’t have time to meditate”.
1. I’m not good at meditating.
We have to understand that mediation is a practice. It is not about achieving anything. We must let go of the obsession of constantly wanting to gain results. Meditation is about being still. It is about just sitting still for a few minutes by yourself. When the body becomes still, the mind becomes still.
2. Meditation is not for me.
Wrong. Meditation is for everyone and everyone can do it. It lowers your stress hormone, boosts your immune system, improves concentration, improves sleep and even increases feelings of happiness. With a regular practice, you will be able to handle stressful situations easily. You can remain cool, calm & collected as often as you like. Overall it is SUPER beneficial for your mental and physical health.
3. I don’t have time to meditate.
If you have time to brush your teeth, you have time to meditate. You don’t have to struggle and force yourself into hours of meditation. Start small, it is better than nothing. Start with just 3 minutes and build up from this. Set a timer so you don’t get worried if the time has passed or not. If you get tempted to open your eyes and check the time, try to breathe through this point. Trust that your timer will sound when it is supposed to.
So why not try it now.
Sit in a comfortable position or lay down if you prefer. There is no specific position you should be in. You must just be as comfortable as possible.
1. Close your eyes.
2. Roll back your shoulders.
3. Exhale fully.
4. Take a deep breath in through your nose and notice your ribcage expanding.
5. Exhale deeply, sending the breath into the pit of the belly.
6. Repeat this cycle
7. If your mind starts to wander, return back to the sound and quality of your breath.
8. Let your breath be your guide.
If you are a more visual learner and prefer to be guided through your meditation practice download Headspace. One of my favourites. This App not only provides easy to follow instructions, but it also offers short and simple videos explaining what happens when we meditate.