Yes, meditation can be really, really boring. I’m with you on that one! But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here’s a whistle-stop tour of ten top reasons why people find meditation boring and what you can do about it.
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I can’t sit still for that long! It makes my legs hurt and my back ache.
We live in a society where being busy and multi-tasking are badges of honour that we wear with pride. The idea of sitting still and “doing nothing” is a shocker!
Enjoying meditation is about acceptance – accepting your surroundings, accepting your body and accepting your mind.
Being still is ok. If it hurts, then it’s worth getting advice on your posture. We’ll be covering this one in much more detail over the next few months!
. - My mind races even more when I’m quiet.
Only this morning a student reminded me of this one. And it’s true. When we stop “doing” stuff we instantly become more aware of our mind, so it feels like it is racing more than usual.
Again, the trick with this one is acceptance. It’s ok. Just let it get on with chattering away and don’t try to fight it or ignore it. It will eventually get the idea and calm down. Then you can start teaching it how to focus! 😉
. - I haven’t got time to meditate.
It’s true. Our lives are already full and we don’t have time to meditate.
Or do we?
It’s funny how, for example, if we fall in love, we suddenly find all these evenings and weekends to spend with that wonderful new person. We watch less TV, we use our time more purposefully.
Is it really too much for our mind, body and soul to ask for 10-20 minutes of our time?
. - I’ve got better things to do than sit around and think of nothing.
Yes!
“Thinking of nothing” – one of those oxymoron thingies! :0
Meditation isn’t about switching off our thoughts. It’s about getting into the present moment, rather than being victim to the well-rehearsed mental scripts we normally play out on auto-pilot. It’s about setting yourself free. Still got better things to do?
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Even navel-gazing gets boring, in the end.
Navel-gazing – yes, that would get very boring, after a short while. Luckily the intention behind the life choices surrounding meditation isn’t about random navel-gazing, but about focused observation of your own habits and behaviours, with a view to becoming the witness, choosing how to respond, rather than being at the mercy of uncontrollable emotions and stress!
. - I did it for a while, but then I quit.
Sometimes it just isn’t our time to learn to reconnect with who we really are. But that’s rarely the case. Usually giving up on meditation means you weren’t getting what you were hoping for. Then it’s time to find yourself a decent teacher or class, to help keep you motivated and guide you on your journey. Even if you know where you want to go, it can still be useful to ask for directions.
. - It didn’t do anything for me – I just sat there, getting bored.
I hear this one so often.
The fact is that learning to meditate is like any other skill: you need to learn the techniques and then practice them. If a technique isn’t working for you, ask your teacher for help. Or try a different book. There are so many ways of meditating that it should be easy and fresh, not stale and boring.
. - I found it really hard to concentrate, so I gave up.
Meditation isn’t about sitting still and emptying your mind. It’s about learning how to quieten the body and then the mind, so you can begin to train your mind to focus. Only then will you be able to concentrate.
So rather than giving ourselves a hard time and giving up, you might want to join a practice group or meditate with a CD / MP3 to guide you, to help you learn to focus and concentrate.
It’s also worth checking out whether you’re too tired to meditate!
. - Meditation isn’t for me – I don’t believe in all that stuff.
A friend of mine was told that her meditation class advert couldn’t go in the village (Church) magazine because it “wasn’t appropriate”. Many people are scared that they have to change their beliefs or go against their religion, in order to meditate.
Whilst it is true that many meditation paths have belief systems to help students on their journey, it isn’t necessary to subscribe to any particular dogma, in order to meditate.
Meditating is about reconnecting with who you really are – your Source – your Divine Aspect, in whatever way works for you. Surely that’s a good thing?
. - Meditation is really difficult.
This one is a common misconception. Somehow meditating involves getting in the lotus position – also known as turning your legs into a pretzel – and chanting or sitting still for days on end!
Luckily the truth is that you can meditate any time, any place, whatever you’re doing. Yes, it helps to sit still in a certain way, when you’re learning. But true meditation is about being alive in the present moment, in full awareness. That just takes practice!
Most of us try too hard to meditate. Once you’ve got the techniques under your belt, your practice should become as effortless as possible – you just need dedication.
I will be covering each of these problems in more detail over the next few weeks, so if you want to make sure you’re getting the low-down on how to make meditation work for you, make sure you’re signed up to our Beyond Alchemy blog feed.
Meditation & Mindfulness Workshops & Classes
If you know anyone who might like to give meditation a try, how about telling them about our meditation & mindfulness workshops and weekly classes near Forest Row, East Grinstead, East Sussex (UK)? www.MeditationForestRow.com
Beyond Alchemy Mediatation Club
If you live too far away to make it to the course, you could sign up for the 28 Day Mediation Challenge – it’s a 4 week online course that takes you through the fundamentals of how to meditate, as well as helping you with an inspired blend of modern psychology, so you can easily create that new meditation habit.
www.28DayMeditationChallenge.com