What's your problem...with meditation?
Take time to meditate you're told. Like you have time, right? Believe it or not, though…5 minutes of your day is really all you need to just begin. Those 5 minutes can have an immediate impact on your mind, body, and spirit. Just words, right?
What keeps people from pursuing meditation even knowing the positive impact it would have on their daily lives? See if any of these ring true to you:
TIME: Too busy. People find themselves “doing” too much, which keeps them busy throughout the day. Absolutely and definitely, no time to meditate.
MIND: Monkey Mind – that constant chattering in your mind that will not cease long enough to even sit for a meditation…I mean, REALLY!...what’s the willing mind to do when it’s overrun and controlled by a bunch of monkeys?
IMMEDIACY: You know you want to find the time, but you believe that you’ll be wasting your precious time now for something that will take a long time to feel any of its benefits. You're just not willing to invest precious time for something that may not give you immediate, dynamic results.
TOO DIFFICULT: You believe that the practice of meditating is too hard. You can’t sit and “not think” for 1 minute, let alone 5 or 10 or 20, right?
PLACE: You don’t have a “meditation place” in your home to be alone or you might then commit the time. If only there was space.
INTERRUPTIONS: It doesn’t matter if you can find the time or even the place to meditate, you just know that family or work or life will interrupt.
LAZY: Yep, that’s a hard one. It comes down to what you intend to do with your life and what you hope to get out of it. Would your goals or life purpose benefit from a practice that reduces stress and anxiety? Would you find your path easier with more focus and clarity? Would it help your interactions with others to be kinder, less judgmental, and open? What is your laziness costing you? How is it holding you back from discovering something exciting about yourself? Can you be honest with yourself?
Do you think I’ve included all the reasons not to meditate?
Meditation practice today is different from what you might believe is the “norm”. No, it isn't just sitting and staring, with an empty mind for hours on end.
Consider these responses to some of the “reasons” mentioned above for NOT meditation:
Time: Meditation practice can begin with as little as a minute to 5 minutes depending on the time you have. Start small and easy to keep the practice enjoyable and doable for you and your circumstances. You can also incorporate meditation in daily activities.
Mind: Meditation can never be about silencing the mind. We're human. Our brain is going to think. However, there are many practices out there to help you welcome your thoughts while meditating. With these techniques, you can at least begin to “still” that Monkey chatter to a degree that will allow you the benefits of meditating.
Immediacy: Yes, it would be great if you could maintain a meditation practice of longer duration, but you can still enjoy the benefits of just a few minutes a day. For those few minutes you give to meditation, you’re giving your mind time to relax and recoup...thereby allowing release from tension throughout the mind and body, today. You'll notice results right after your meditation.
Too difficult: What if I told you that by simply placing your finger into a cup of tea is meditating? It’s much simpler than you think it is. Meditation can be found any many forms, not just putting your butt on a pillow with crossed legs.
Place: This is the most fun of any of the excuses. There are many forms of meditating that will allow you to meditate during daily activities…no specific place is required. In the event you do want to make space for a committed practice there are also ways to identify those places that will easily work in any size home.
Interruptions: Sure, definitely, a real concern to address. But did you know, there are meditations you can do that welcome those interruptions? Or, you can also learn ways to make your space more conducive to fewer interruptions.
Lazy: This is a tough one because only you can answer this for yourself. You have to decide if your laziness is bringing value to your life. Will it positively change your future and open exciting paths for you to travel? Will any of the self-help you endeavor to do today benefit from laziness being in control? This one is on you. Only you can understand and accept the value of laziness to yourself.
Seriously think of the reasons you give yourself to not meditate. There are innumerable ways to overcome what you believe to be insurmountable obstacles. Just take a little time to learn more. Your life will undergo a valuable and life-altering transformation if you give meditation another thought.
There are plenty of YouTube videos and books that can help. I recommend Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on YouTube. You'll find many websites offering free meditation services, articles, or other information. Find the one that’s right for you. You can also check out my website for various options to help you: www.ravenspiritstudio.com.
“At the end of the day, I can end up just totally wacky, because I've made mountains out of molehills. With meditation, I can keep them as molehills.” Ringo Starr
#meditation #reiki #healing #balance #joy #mindfulness #obstaclesovercomed #transformation