Read This if you Struggle with Meditation
Meditation gets a lot of hype these days—and for good reason. You’ve probably heard about the benefits—less stress, better focus, more clarity. Maybe you’ve tried it a few times, sitting down to clear your mind, only to find yourself fidgeting after two minutes, wondering if you’re doing it wrong.
This was certainly the case for me. As much as I wanted to get into meditation, I kept second-guessing myself and the way that I thought, sat, and breathed. In my mind, everything was wrong with the way that I meditated, and that’s what ended up steering me away from it.
That was until I watched a Ted Talk by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan author and meditation master. His speech completely changed the way that I viewed meditation. Here’s a snippet below
In the speech, he talks about the two main misunderstandings surrounding meditation. Here they are, along with three more that I’ve added.
In order to meditate, you must think of nothing. You must be in silence, and retain concentration and focus.
During meditation, you should always look for peace, calm, and joy. You should reject negative thoughts and panic.
You must close your eyes to meditate.
Meditation only works if you do it for long periods of time.
You must be religious/spiritual to meditate.
As I uncovered these misunderstandings, I learned that meditation doesn’t have to be so complicated. That everything doesn’t have to be perfect to meditate. That there are no rules. I began to focus less on the way I was meditating, and more on just doing it. After all, everything takes practice. Even something as simple as sitting down and doing nothing is a skill that must be learned.
While I’m no meditation expert, there is one piece of advice I can give you. Whether you’re struggling to meditate or you’ve been doing it for ages, I recommend to do this:
Sit down on a bench.
It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of meditation, but sitting on a bench can absolutely be a form of it. What I love about them is that they naturally create a moment of stillness, allowing the sitter to pause, and breathe. While sitting on a bench, there are no expectations, or pressure to do anything. You just have to sit. And guess what? Benches are everywhere. It’s simple, accessible, and effective. Here’s a simple guide on how to meditate on a bench:
Find a bench—a park bench, a street bench, any bench.
Sit down.
Notice your surroundings–the sounds, sights, and feelings.
Let your mind wander without judgment.
Breathe. That’s it. That’s the meditation.
If traditional meditation hasn’t worked for you, try starting here. Sitting on a bench could be the best meditation practice you’re not doing.
What a treat.
