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One of the biggest hurdles experienced by newcomers to meditation is ‘expectation’. And yet we live in a world where ‘goals’ have become the new holy grail.
For meditation to work, pr-ordained goals are something to let go of. To release before you settle down to your meditation.
I can almost hear you protesting, ‘but if I don’t have a goal, what’s the point of settling down?’
And that’s the dilemma.
Because the moment you start to meditate you have ruined your chances of reaching ‘your goal’ of relaxation. The fast pace of life often means we have to focus and organize our daily schedules with almost military precision.
When meditating that is the one thing that is guaranteed to block positive results when meditating. Letting go of the need to organize (dare I mention the word ‘control’), is not easy, but necessary when opening up your conscious state to meditation.
It is all part of the reason people initially find it so hard to keep their attention focused during meditation.
There are plenty of books out there about meditation that expound the values and benefits of every type of meditating and covering almost every aspect of life.
a) Read a book (or two) on meditation. Don’t hesitate to pick one or two up next time you visit Amazon or your local book store. Unlike fiction, where you need to read the whole story to get the full picture, there will be parts of any ‘how to’ book that will not sit well with you. You can meditate on that and find out why certain information feels wrong for you. At the end of the day, meditation is personal. Like writing, you find your own voice, honor it and stay with it.
b) Invite meditation to become a part of your daily routine. That does not mean you have to give up hours of your time on a daily basis. To begin with five minutes a day is good, but if that is too much try to organize a meditation slot at least three a week. Keeping a journal of your experiences, however banal they seem, will on reflection, reveal patterns in your life that may require tweaking to relieve stressful situations. But don’t stress over the meditations themselves. Just do the best you can every day, and then let it go!
c) There are instructional tapes and CDs. If it feels right, try one, but go for something simple to begin with. And choose carefully. There are many different types of meditation, and if you don’t give yourself time to choose wisely it may put you off something that can be very beneficial to your life-style and health.
WARNING NEVER, EVER listen to meditation CDs or tapes while driving.
And finally for this week, work at your own pace. If someone tells you of the most magnificent meditation they’ve had, accept it, let it go, and continue your meditation journey at the pace that is right for YOU.
4 comments:
I got the book The Best Guide to Meditation. Looking forward to learning more.
Good post.
Speaking of meditation books. Our own Sherry Gloag has out a great one.
I've meditated, I guess for over twenty years. I really need to get back into it again.
I really have to agree with you about the "letting go" part. That very important to the whole mediation process and why so many people fail.
People also don't understand that they've probably already achieved a type of meditation when they read or watch TV.
When I learned that, I was able to let go and slip into deep meditation.
Meditation is a state of deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent. It is the art of silencing the mind. Thank you very much for such a good idea.
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