I have come to notice that a lot of people have mental blocks around one of my favorite healthy habits.
I’m talking about meditation!
Recently I found out from my sister that she thought meditation is super easy for me… and it’s just she who struggles with meditation.
Oh boy! that couldn’t be further from the truth.
And what I realized is that there are a lot of misconceptions about meditation.
The top mental blocks I’ve noticed around meditation include:
- It comes easy for everyone else but me
- I have to set aside a lot of time to do it
- If my mind wanders at all, I’m doing it wrong
- I have to feel zen the entire time I’m doing it
I’m sure there are more, but you get the point.
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So here’s the thing, meditation gives you the opportunity to get control over your thoughts.
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Meditation allows you to bring your brain from stressful beta waves into healing alpha or theta waves.
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Meditation down regulates stress, improves sleep, makes you happier, can increase the centers in the brain for compassion, gratitude, and love.
Meditation does a lot of wonderful things for you!
But it is not always easy.
This is where “monkey brain” comes in. That’s the ongoing chatter that can keep you out of your zen zone.
Many of the meditations I’ve heard say something along the lines of letting those thoughts pass by like clouds…
Ugh, that doesn’t work for me at all!
Then there are meditations that have you just sit in stillness… well that seems like prime time to have monkey brain turn on in my book.
When I’m supposed to focus on a mantra, one word for example, at some point it sounds wrong to me…
I have figured out the kinds of meditations that do work for me! And what works for me may not for you, you just have to try and see.
The meditations that guide me through specific things to do (like in Dr. Dawson Church’s meditations – “imagine the space behind your eyes, breathe 6 seconds in 6 seconds out,” etc) that I can do! I love those!
But even those, if I’m preoccupied by something, sitting down to do a meditation doesn’t make my present issues melt away instantaneously. And when I get through the meditation, I can handle the issues far better!
Each time I meditate is different. Sometimes I get into flow and it feels so soothing, calming, and safe.
Other times it is a constant struggle to refocus on the meditation and hush down that monkey brain. Refocus!
Sometimes, something in the meditation allows me to relax which suddenly lets me remember something I’ve been meaning to do and forgot. Refocus!
Some days I’m absolutely not in the mood to meditate! That is when I need them the most. The grumpier I feel about it, the more it is needed. Refocus!
Do you want to know the truth about meditation?
The more you do it, the better you get at it. Find the kind of meditations you like!
It’s like weight lifting. You wouldn’t go pick up a 50 pound dumbbell the first time you go the gym. You’d start with where you are at.
Same goes for meditation. Maybe a 5 minute meditation sounds doable for you. Maybe you’d like to try a class. Maybe you prefer guided, or stillness, or heart brain coherence…
