Everyone seems to be talking about the benefits of mediation now. Oprah’s even promoting it! In fact, I can’t open up my inbox in the morning without receiving some offer for a meditation retreat, or an opportunity to join a new “free” course I “must” take to learn more about this practice. Now, I’m a firm believer that meditation can benefit everyone, but with all of the information out there on the topic, the practice of meditation is becoming a bit confusing and overwhelming, isn’t it? I’d like to help simplify things for you, by sharing three common meditation myths many of us revert to when we think about this practice. It’s often these myths that either prevent us from trying to meditate, or that stop us too soon on the journey.
3 Meditation Myths
MEDITATION MYTH 1: There’s a correct way to meditate.
False!
As long as you’re meditating, you’re doing it right. The purpose of meditation for most people is to reduce stress and to improve overall focus and the ability to live in the present moment. Here’s the way I find it easiest to start meditating.
Try the following practice for 3-5 minutes:
- Get comfortable while sitting or standing.
- Close your eyes and let your body relax, one body part at a time.
- Begin breathing in through your nose by expanding your belly. Try not to let your shoulders raise.
- Be aware of your breath; listen to the air coming in and out of your nose.
- Allow thoughts to enter your mind, but don’t focus on, or entertain these thoughts. Let them pass. Come back to focusing on your breathing.
As I noted, this is a great way to get started with meditation. I learned a more advanced version of meditation through ‘The Power of Sound and Vibration‘ course I took. Please reach out to me if you’d like to learn more about this form of practice. I’m still thoroughly enjoying this type of meditation one year later!
MEDITATION MYTH 2: When you meditate, you must clear all thoughts from your mind.
False!
We think 60,000-80,000 thoughts daily; our minds are always active. This makes it extremely difficult, if not next to impossible, to stop our thoughts or clear our mind completely.
While meditating, let your thoughts flow, but be unconcerned with them and go back to focusing on your breathing. Eventually you’ll spend more time calmly focused on your breathing versus thinking about what’s going on around you or worrying about the past of future.
MEDITATION MYTH 3: Something magical happens immediately, due to meditation!
False!
Most of us understand we have to go to the gym for many months to see a real physical difference in out bodies. And to maintain the results, we have to continue exercising regularly.
The same rule applies to meditation, constant practice is required in order to notice the impact it has on your daily life. Regular meditation can change your thoughts and behaviours. After two months of meditation, I really did notice a switch in my thoughts and patience. I am finally able to think before acting a lot of the time – however, this is still a work in progress. 🙂
I’ve read and experienced first hand, that consistency with meditation is more important than the length of time you perform it. So a few minutes of daily practice is more beneficial than meditating for one hour a week. I meditate most days for at least five minutes. When I can mediate for longer, I do.
Use meditation as a tool to assist you with rest of your day and week. The mental downtime it provides, really is critical in today’s stressful world.
To Sum it up…
There are many benefits to giving yourself some regular mental downtime. Keep things simple when it comes to meditation by remembering these tips:
- When beginning your meditation practice remember that there is no wrong way to meditate, just do it!
- Many of us won’t ever be able to stop our thoughts completely, and despite the fact that something magical doesn’t happen right away, due to meditation, stick with it and you will notice a change in yourself.
Don’t let these meditation myths stop you from performing this critical healthy practice.