Top 5 Myths Of Meditation
We’ve all been there… the start stop pattern of trying to establish a meditation practice. Many people begin with the best intentions and then abandon the practice due to some incorrect perception of what makes a good and appropriate meditation practice. They feel as if they have failed, never to return to the meditation cushion. Which leads me to the first myth:
MYTH #1 “You must sit on the floor.”
While many of us enjoy sitting on a nice round cushion on the floor, it is not at all required. Seated meditation can be practiced in a chair or on the floor, even in a parked car! If you are in a chair, then be sure to have your feet flat on the floor and your spine upright and tall. If you are on the floor, try elevating your hips higher than your knees by sitting on a cushion, bolster or yoga block. The two most important things about your meditative seat are comfort and a tall spine. However you can achieve that is perfectly fine! Additionally, there are alternative styles of meditation that involve walking and standing. Some guided relaxation techniques include full body relaxation in a reclined position. While this is not a traditional seated practice, it can still be of great benefit. Meditation invites us to slow down, be still and experience just being. No matter what position you take, it’s all worthwhile.
MYTH #2 “I need to stop thinking and clear my mind.”
This is a common and misdirected definition of meditation. It’s also a reason why people think they are failing. Let’s stop right there. The mind was built to think and it’s doing what is natural. Meditation practice invites us to watch our thoughts without attaching to them. We allow them to float by like clouds in the sky. This is why renowned teacher Pema Chodron says ‘You are the sky, everything else is the weather’. The practice of meditation involves the observation of the moving mind, not necessarily the clearing of the mind. You might hear a teacher say ‘you are not your thoughts’ and that is the main idea. Over time, the thoughts in your mind will settle and this is probably why people associate meditation with less thinking or clear mind. But again, the reminder is that meditation is the practice and the clear mind may be a result on some days and not on others. It’s all good.
MYTH #3 “Long meditations are the best (and I don’t have time).”
Let’s break this down. Yes it’s nice to sit and experience that blissful state, if and when it comes. We just want to stay there or float in and out of it. But the idea of a meditation practice is exactly that - a regular activity you undertake so that it becomes a skill and a regular part of your routine. Meditation helps you get comfortable and familiar with yourself, your thinking mind and your presence. When you return to presence over and over again each day, you will ‘drop in’ to your practice more easily. It’s like any other muscle in that you need to use it to build it. So, with meditation, frequency is more important than duration. A short meditation every day is better than one long one once a week. You’ll often hear me say to just start with 2 minutes a day. If you have time to brush your teeth every day, then you have time to meditate. Just sit down, be still, breathe in and out or silently repeat the simple ‘so hum’ mantra for two minutes every day and watch your practice unfold naturally and easily.
MYTH #4 “Meditation is religious, spiritual and too woo woo.''
There are many different styles of meditation, but in its most basic form, meditation is just the act of sitting still on purpose, allowing the breath to flow and observing passing thoughts, disturbances, sounds or sensations. Many people meditate simply for the stress reduction benefits. We don’t need to overcomplicate it or practice in a certain way if it does not fit with our belief system. But sitting still and connecting within always seems like a good idea no matter your religious beliefs. Meditation is NOT prayer. It is a simple act of observing and listening within.
MYTH #5 “Meditation is for calm people.”
Meditation is actually for everyone and is especially supportive for anyone experiencing stress, overwhelm, burnout, anxiety or depression. Meditation is about coming back into balance. It alleviates our ‘fight or flight’ stress response and brings us into the ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic nervous system response. Studies in meditators have shown decreased heart rate, lower blood pressure, balanced sugar levels and improved sleep. So meditation is definitely for you no matter where you are coming from.
