MEDITATION: GETTING STARTED WON’T SEEM EASY BUT LEARN SOME TIPS TO GET YOU ON YOUR WAY
The more you learn to master the mind, the stronger and more confident you become. It is difficult but the reward is great.
My goal is to offer inspiration and techniques to anyone curious about pursuing a meditation practice. I also assist my students in the creation and maintenance of a routine and provide strategies and support. But in the end, you will need to do the work.
MEDITATION IS FOR EVERYONE IF THEY WANT TO DO IT.
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Meditation—such a simple act, and yet so much to say about it! In a sentence— meditation is an ancient practice based on one pointed focus as a means of quieting, focusing and transforming the mind to cultivate self-awareness as well as calming the mind and body. I encourage you to follow the Untame Your Life Blog to uncover tools for you to begin and deepen a meditation practice.
MYTHS ABOUT MEDITATION
#1. I cannot meditate because I am not able to sit on the floor comfortably with crossed legs.
FALSE.
I teach students of all levels, and help each client to find their optimal position —chairs or
standing are always a possibility.
#2. I need to meditate in an environment where there are no distractions. FALSE
There is no perfect environment. There are always distractions.
- Distractions from the mind–“I love this. I hate this. I should have……. I can’t believe……. I need to…….”
- Distractions from discomfort in the physical body (even after finding your most optimal meditation position) commonly from the knee, hip, or back.
- Suffering from emotions— anger, fear, sadness….
- Distraction from outside circumstances— a fly, mosquito, noise from the street, children crying there is always something.
THAT IS WHY WE MEDITATE— TO PRACTICE BEING PRESENT AMIDST DISTRACTION AND DISCOMFORT.
#3. My mind is way too busy to try to meditate. FALSE.
Trust me— what happens behind those closed eyes is not usually what I would call peaceful. Meditation is hard even for people who have been doing it for a very long time! Everyone’s mind is busy! That is why we meditate— to train the mind. Because the mind is a terrible master but an excellent servant. We cannot get angry with the mind for doing what it was designed for. The mind is meant to problem solve. Our job is to train the mind to be focused on what YOU want it to be focused on. To learn how to observe it.
“THE GOAL OF MEDITATION IS NOT TO CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS, IT’S TO STOP THEM CONTROLLING YOU.” Unkown
This is good news and bad news. The bad news is if you are looking for “easy” then meditation is probably not for you. The good news is that even though it is difficult, anyone with the will can do it— any gender, age, physical fitness level, intelligence level……. ANYONE!
ANYONE CAN MEDITATE AND YET:
- Your mind may tell you misleading information. Often the mind can be cruel, judge mental, and negative. Meditation can help you see life more clearly and hopefully more accurately.
Don’t let fear control your life.
R. Hagen
WHAT SCREWS US UP MOST IN LIFE IS THE PICTURE IN OUR HEAD OF HOW LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
Jeremy Binns
- Meditation (and life) can be challenging. Physical, emotional, mental, and psychic pain arises. Through this we learn amazing things about ourselves and our life.
THE BETTER YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, THE MORE FREE YOU ARE TO BE YOURSELF.
- No one is good at meditation. It is a life long practice. The goal is not to be good— it is to accept where you are.
When you develop a meditation practice, you become more patient, less stressed. You sleep better. Obsessive thinking decreases. You are more discerning about what you are willing to believe that the mind tells us. You sleep better. You are less likely to have addictive behaviors. The benefits are truly endless.
It is not an easy journey, but the reward is great. Let me be your guide.
There are so many positive benefits to meditating—in the coming blog posts I will share many of the benefits, strategies, and some of my own personal stories of breaking out of the traditional mindset and leaving the traditional life behind.
