When we use the ability to better manage our stress levels, improve focus and concentration, and come into the present moment, so why aren’t more people practicing meditation daily? According to a study done in 2018 by the CDC, about 14% of Americans have tried meditation at least once., which isn’t bad but why isn’t that number higher? We all have minds, we all experience some form of stress and who couldn’t use a little help with focus and improving our memory, am I right!?
Meditation has been practiced for centuries as a way to take a break from the external world and turn our attention inward to explore, and with practice, understand ourselves better. In the past few decades there has been research exploring the effects of meditation on the body and mind. What did they find? That meditation can help with stress, anxiety, high blood pressure and more. Check out my post 15 Reasons to Meditate backed by Science to see some of the benefits of meditation.
5 Common reasons why people don’t meditate
So with the years and years of it being a practiced, and all of these great benefits coming to light, why isn’t everyone in the world meditating!? Let's take a look at 5 of the most common reasons that keep people from meditating
1. "I Can’t Quiet my Mind"
Well, good news! Quieting the mind isn’t actually what we’re trying to do while we meditate, it is sometimes a product of the practice. The point of meditating isn’t to quiet the mind, it’s to notice whatever is present in the mind without trying to force or avoid anything. It’s the mind’s nature to wander, but it is our resistance to it that causes suffering. It is the feeling like you are failing each time the mind wanders while meditating that makes you give up, but that is not the part of the mind we are trying to train. We are training our reaction to the fact that the mind wanders, trying to remain kind and non-judgmental each time we notice the mind wandering. Meditation allows us to let go of the need to control everything, and to accept whatever is present in each moment. When we can accept things that normally bother us, it takes all of the power away from them.
2. It's uncomfortable sit still.
You don’t need to sit in full lotus pose in order to practice meditation, in the beginning you want to be able to sit or lay down comfortably. You can practice meditation while sitting upright in a chair, or laying down on your back with your knees and head supported. The goal is to get comfortable enough to quiet down the sensations of the body so that our awareness can move past the physical world and into the subtle aspects of the self. A folded blanket or pillow can provide more cushion, but a meditation cushion offers more stability and raises the hips above the knees which protects the back and knees.
3. "I get frustrated when my mind wanders"
“My mind just won’t shut off; it is impossible to quiet it down! My thoughts are driving me nuts! I can’t meditate, my mind wanders all over the place, how can I meditate?” Does any of this sound familiar?
The goal of meditation isn’t to still or stop thoughts, it’s to develop a kind relationship with the mind. It’s the mind's nature to move from thing to thing, meditation helps us realize when the mind has wandered and teaches us to release the judgment that tells us we are failing or that we’re bad at this. When you get frustrated eventually you will want to give up. So how can we overcome this frustration? Think about meditation as just a practice. When we are practicing something we give ourselves the ability to try new things and make mistakes so that we can get better. The idea of practice feels much different than the feeling of a really important situation, so if you can learn to see meditation (and life for that matter!) as just practice, you won’t feel the need to judge yourself so harshly.
You can listen to guided meditations to keep your mind focused on the practice. All you have
to do with a guided meditation is listen and allow your awareness to follow the teachers instruction and try to let go of the need to control the situation.
There are a bunch of guided meditations on my Insight Timer app profile. The app has thousands of different guided meditations, meditation music, binaural beats and more, and it’s all free for you!
4. "I don’t have the time"
Now this is time for a little bit of harsh truth, if something is important to you then you will make time for it. Our time is the most important thing in this world so we tend to guard our schedule very closely, and the first thought of meditation is that it isn’t worth the time, but that is absolutely wrong.
Meditation doesn’t take up hours of our day, all you need is about five minutes in order to notice the benefits that meditation brings. Five minutes is nothing, I bet you spend more time scrolling through Instagram each night! You could wake up a few minutes earlier and meditate or make it a point to meditate before you get ready for bed. You could even take a few minutes before you eat your lunch to practice, it’s just a matter of making it important to you to add it to the schedule.
Check out my post 15 Reasons to Meditate backed by Science to see why meditation is a good way to spend your time.
5. "I don’t see the point. I don’t need to meditate."
Well I suppose technically you are right, you do not need meditation to live. You really don’t NEED to meditate, but adding meditation into your daily routine could be the difference between just surviving and thriving.
Buddha was asked, “What have you gained from meditation?” He replied, “Nothing! However, let me tell you what I have lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of old age and death.”
This quote may or may not actually be from Buddha himself but I think it perfectly explains the benefits of meditation. Sure you could go through life without meditation, but chances are you will encounter difficult and stressful situations along the way. Meditation doesn’t get rid of challenging moments, it allows you to change your perspective of these moments so that you can navigate them with less stress and suffering.
Are You Ready to Meditate Yet?
Meditation isn’t as difficult as people may think, and the benefits of this simple practice will amaze you. Just five minutes a day can do wonders for reducing stress and increasing productivity
Meditation is like working out or doing yoga, but for the mind!
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