Meditation Demystified

Meditation is a set of techniques for training your mind. Learning to meditate can bring a sense of peace and reduce the inner churning of emotions and feelings. Regular practice can help in grounding us and bringing clarity in thought and thus, action. Meditation has definite health benefits as it targets the root cause of many stress related diseases like cardiac issues, blood pressure, insomnia etc.

Most of us have tried to meditate at one point in our life or another. There are many schools of thought on how to meditate. It can be overwhelming to have so much information. Along with it, there are also many myths and misconceptions surrounding this transcendental and abstract concept.

To keep it simple and accessible to all, I have compiled five common misconceptions that can be easily avoided in order to travel on the path to experiencing the joy of meditation.

• Freeze! Put your hands on your lap and close your eyes.

Truth: As long as you are able to find a place of stillness inside you, you could be walking, sitting in a chair or on the floor, or lying down while practicing meditation. There are various methods to find peace, find what suits you best. Check out this post on walking meditation

• You should not think about anything.

Truth: Thoughts will come and go. Let them. Don’t try to exert control over what to think. Instead focus on your breath every time you want to bring your attention back to your practice. Try repeating a cue word (like om, so-ham, in-out) to anchor your mind and breath.

• You have to meditate at least 15 minutes.

Truth: Even 1-2 minutes of real relaxation will add up and you will see benefits. Just start off with how much ever you can manage every day. Soon you will find yourself craving to get your daily dose of meditation, even on a busy day.

• A chatty mind achieves nothing

Truth: Meditation is not about exerting control over your thoughts, it is to stop letting them control you. If you just watch your mind as an unbiased third party, slowly but surely, the chatter will cease.

• You should have a mystical experience if you do it right

Truth: Attaching yourself to the expectation of a special spiritual experience will hinder your progress. It is best to just BE. Every little step of freeing your mind of the clutter is a special experience in itself.

Check out this post on concentration - another wonderful method to incorporate in your meditation practice.

Give it a go! Just relax and enjoy your journey!