What happens that something as simple as sitting in stillness and observing breathing produces fear, rejection and even hostility? With so much information proving the mental, emotional and physical benefits of this practice, it turns out that there are many people who refuse to try it.
Of course, meditation can be a challenge, and even more so if we don't know very well why we do it. It may seem strange to sit and listen to the incessant chattering in our head, and we easily get bored if we do nothing for a while, even if only a few minutes. We could look for many reasons, but let's point out a few mental resistances that we usually find in people:
1. I am very busy, I don't have time . Which may be true if you have young children and a full-time job, and all that that entails. However we are talking about 10 minutes a day. You spend more time reading the newspaper or surfing aimlessly on the internet. It seems we don't have time because we usually fill every minute of activity and never press the pause button.
2. I find it very uncomfortable to sit still for a long time. If you are trying to practice on the floor with your legs crossed, it will effectively become uncomfortable. But instead you can sit straight in a firm and comfortable chair. Or you can do walking meditation, or yoga, or tai-chi. Moving meditation can be as beneficial as sitting practice.
3. My mind never stops thinking : I can't relax, I can't meditate. My mind doesn't stop, it goes around all the time. My thoughts drive me crazy! I am trying to escape from myself, not look inside. Sounds familiar?
Indeed, trying to stop thoughts is like trying to stop the wind: it is impossible. In Eastern teaching, the mind is described as a drunk monkey bitten by a scorpion, because just like a monkey jumps from branch to branch, the mind jumps from one thing to another, constantly distracted and occupied. So when one feels still and tries to calm the mind, one finds all this agitation that seems insane. It is really nothing new, only now one realizes it, while before one was immersed in it, without perceiving that the chattering was so constant.
This experience of mental hustle and bustle is very normal. Someone estimated once that in a 30-minute meditation session we can have more than 300 thoughts. Years of busy mind, years of creating and maintaining dramas, years of confusion or of looking at the navel, make the mind not able to calm down. Rather look for fun. It is not that one can suddenly turn it off when meditating. This experience is very common in beginners.
4. There are too many distractions, there is a lot of noise . The days have passed when we could go to a cave and not have interruptions until we were later illuminated. Instead, we have to manage the noises and demands of the world around. But there is no reason to let them dominate us. What are cars running? All right. Let them go, but don't go with them. The tranquility you are looking for is inside, not outside. The experience of stillness is cumulative: The more you feel, slowly, the mind becomes calmer, in spite of any distractions that may exist.
5. I don't see results. Inevitably, here you have to trust the instructors. Some people realize the benefits after just one session, but most of us take longer. You may notice the difference after a week or two of practice. Which means you have to rely on the process enough to stay there, before checking the benefits.
Remember that a musician needs to play for hours to get the right note, and in Japan it can take 12 years to learn the art of floral composition. Being calm happens, but it may take a while until the time comes, hence patience is needed.
6. I'm not worth it, I don't do it well. Actually, it is impossible to do the practice badly. You do it well even if you sit for 20 minutes and don't stop having crazy thoughts. There is no assessment of right or wrong, and there is no one way. It is said that there are as many forms of meditation as there are people who practice it. So all you need is to find the way that works for you and be constant.
What matters is that you get along with meditation. It is not useful that you intend to meditate and then feel guilty because you did not find time or only did 10 minutes, when you wanted to do 30. It is more realistic to practice a short time and enjoy, than sit down clenching teeth by obligation. Meditation is a kind company throughout life, like an old friend you turn to when you need support, inspiration and clarity. It is to enjoy.
7. They are strange things of the New Age. Of course it is easy to get lost in the promises of eternal happiness of the New Age, but meditation is a very old practice. More than 2, 500 years ago, the Buddha was an experienced meditator, who tried many ways to achieve peace of mind . And that is only an example. Each religion has its own variations on the matter, and they all go back centuries. So there is nothing new or weird.
In other words, meditating is not forcing the mind to be still. Rather, it is about letting go of resistance, or whatever may appear: doubts, fear, desires, worries, feelings of inadequacy, endless dramas, ... Every time one finds oneself with the mind dispersed, fantasizing, remembering or planning, he realizes and returns to the now, to the present moment. All that is needed is to pay attention and be with what it is. Nothing else
Translated and adapted from the E&D Shapiro blog
Source: https://agustinprieta.wordpress.com/
Why do we find it so difficult to meditate? | Agustin Prieta
