Meditation Myths
I wanted to debunk 5 meditation myths that come up frequently when people first inquire about meditation.
Myth #1 Meditation is Difficult
Meditation is a skill and just like you take skiing lessons or take a business course, there is a learning curve that takes place and it’s difficult at first as you are grasping a new skill or concept. However with time and persistence, the skill becomes natural and less difficult.
When I was 6 years old, my mom wanted me to do skiing lessons, but I denied them, being the stubborn child that I was, because I thought how hard can it be? I’ll just follow along with what other people on the slopes are doing and I'll be fine. So she let me. She brought me up to a small hill and let me go. After tumbling down and feeling frustrated with myself, i caved to lessons with an experienced teacher.
Same with meditation, when you receive instruction from an experienced, knowledgeable teacher, meditation is easy and even fun to learn.
Another reason why meditation may seem difficult is that we try too hard to concentrate. As human beings, we’re naturally hard-wired and reinforced in our culture to be overly attached to results, or we assume that we are not doing it right.
Having an experienced instructor will help you understand what you’re experiencing and to move past common roadblocks.
Myth #2 Meditation is spiritual or religious
I think of meditation as like a shower for your brain. There is nothing religious about it. It’s a daily ritual we all participate in. People do meditate for increased self-awareness and manifestation which could be associated with spirituality, but you do not have to be spiritual or religious to practice yoga & meditation and receive the benefits of the practice.
Myth #3 It takes years to receive any benefits from practicing
The benefits of meditation are for both immediate and long term. You can begin to experience instant benefits in the first few days of daily practice, ranging from feelings of calm & focused to long-term benefits of a regulated nervous system and being adaptable to life’s circumstances.
Myth #4 Your mind must be blank
This may be the number one myth about meditation and is the cause of many people struggling with the practice. This was also my first experience with meditation. I decided to take up a meditation practice at the age of 18 to help me deal with school stress. And of course, Just as I did with skiing lessons, I did not seek any help as I thought again: “how hard can it be? You close your eyes and you think of NOTHING”. I quickly found myself frustrated and unsuccessful.
The truth is Meditation isn’t about stopping our thoughts or trying to empty our mind. This only creates stress and more noisy internal chatter.
We can’t stop or control our thoughts. This happens involuntarily, but we can decide how much attention to give them. Although we can’t impose quiet on our mind, through meditation we can find the quiet that already exists in the space between our thoughts.
Myth #5 Meditation takes hours
Meditations can be done in as little as 1 to 5 minutes! Quick meditations are perfect for beginners or those who simply want to refresh their mind, take a quick break from work and rejuvenate the mind for increased mental clarity.
With these myths debunked, we encourage you to give meditation and yoga a try for increased mental and physical wellness.
And if you’d like to dive deeper and explore meditation & yoga styles with an experienced professional teacher, reach out to us, we’ll love to be part of your support system.
