4 Meditation Myths Busted
If you’re feeling the weight of everything unfolding in the world right now… take a deep breath in through your nose. Into your belly. And let it all out - emptying your body completely. If you do this a couple more times, you’ll begin to feel grounded in your body. You’ll begin to notice - and release - the sensations, the energy, of all the worry. The stress. The tension.
Although this is one of the most wonderful times of the year, Covid rearing its head again has left so many isolated and alone over the Holidays. I, thankfully, am able to be with my family, but I know so many others - despite having planned to reunite with family, some for the first time in years - are no longer able to do so.
With so much uncertainty, overwhelm, and fear infiltrating our newly re-constructed reality, there is no better time than now to lean into a practice that not only allows you to separate from the thoughts that propel you into emotional spirals, but empowers you to move forward, one day at a time, cultivating peace and joy.
You guessed it - that practice is meditation. If you are reading this, there is something in you that is ready to touch something greater. There is something in you seeking some sort of higher truth as to the nature of your being. Yet, like many of my friends, family, and even initial clients have told me : “I really want to learn how to meditate, but I just can’t do it”. When I gently challenge this self imposed limiting belief, their response falls under the umbrella of one of these four myths about meditation.
I don’t have time to mediate for hours every day, so what’s the point?
I’ll never be able to quiet my mind - there’s just too much running through my head all the time for me to meditate
I get bored sitting in silence and feel like I’m just wasting time
And last but not least,
It’s too hard
These beliefs, though they feel true at the time, are merely a thought we’ve adopted as truth; although it may feel true to you, it is not truth. If you are still reading, I invite you to examine {honestly} if you have used one of these four myths below to keep you comfortable. Have you settled for a lesser version of what you know you are capable of reaching?
1. You have to meditate every day for a long time for real benefits.
Truth is: Research conducted by nueroscientist, Amishi Jha, has found that meditating for only 12 minutes a day, five days a week, is the magic dose to reap the cognitive, physical, and emotional benefits of meditation. However, if you are a beginner - aka have never tried to meditate - I recommend starting with 5 minutes or less everyday. Once you develop your practice and understand what it feels like to meditate in your body, you can use meditation as a touchstone. Then, even short meditations - what I call micro meditations - are able to bring you back to your body, to the present moment, and ignite the connection inward to the truth of your essence. Utilizing these micro meditations throughout the day leaves you with a calmer mind, less jitters in your body, and a more hopeful outlook on life.
Myth #2: The goal of meditation is to quiet your mind and stop thinking.
Truth is: Think of your mind like your heart; your mind thinks in the same fashion that your heart pumps blood. Like blood constantly circulating through your body, thoughts will circulate through your mind. The goal in meditation is not to eliminate or eradicate all thoughts. Rather, meditation is the manifestation of curiosity; it is a practice of observing a thought and gently, without judgement, releasing it and returning to the present moment. Your thoughts will are not the enemy. In fact, embracing all your thoughts through a lens of curiosity more easily allows you to detach - instead of subscribing to them as a foundation of your identity.
Myth #3: You have to sit in silence to call it "meditation."
Truth is: While meditating in a calm, quiet environment with no distractions is ideal (especially for beginners in a sitting meditation), it is definitely not the only way to meditate. In fact, in the first weeks of my Meditation 101 program, I provide only guided meditations and recommend other forms of meditation including walking meditations, mantras, and mindful breathing. There is no one way to meditate; meditation is a personal practice. Whether moving or still, meditation is the intentional stillness that creates space for an inward connection.
Myth #4: Meditation is difficult.
Truth is: Meditation is a practice like any other. Meditation is a skill like any other. Is surfing difficult the first time you take a board out to catch a wave? yes. Do you expect to catch a 10 foot wave and drop right into the barrel your first time out in the water? Probably not. Similarly, you can’t expect yourself to sit down, close your eyes, and reach nirvana the first time you try to meditate. Meditation is a practice of nonjudgmental presence. In the beginning it may feel hard, like any other skill you are trying to hone, but with practice, it becomes easier. Soon, it feels like walking - you don’t remember a time you didn’t know how to meditate. Connecting with yourself through meditation is a birthright - it’s a skill that exists innately within us. It’s a skill that we are all designed to master - that we are all created to tap into. If it feels difficult in the beginning, it’s a short time until it feels like the most natural extension of your existence.
Meditation gives us the gift of separation. Separation from stress. Separation from worry. Separation from despair. In this separation - like clouds withdrawing to reveal a gleaming sun - we can grasp the most fundamental concept of our existence: everything passes. As we try to deal with the uncertainty covid has created {yet again} this Holiday season, there is one thing that is for certain. This moment will pass quickly. But your presence in this moment—whether you’re here or not here, reactive or nonreactive, making memories or not— is up to you.