Debunking Common Myths About Meditation
You have heard and been told that meditation can be beneficial and there are also a lot of myths about meditation too. Well, you will have to experience it yourself to feel its effect. But before you embark on this journey, it is important to understand those misconceptions and myths about meditation that might get you confused or even wonder if it is really worth doing it not to mention if it comes with benefits, if any. So, let’s dive in to debunk some of these myths that have been circulating for years, so you can start reaping those benefits when you start practising them.
Be Religious
Some said one has to be religious to meditate. This is absolutely not true. Though meditation originated from ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Chinese traditions, by no means does it require you to be religious? Meditation is less about spirituality but merely a technique to train the concentration and calmness of the mind. Even the Dalai Lama says “you can be a believer or a non-believer and yet meditate.”
Just like other ancient practices, it is quite common that religious elements made their way into meditation, the combination of mantras, the use of mudras and yoga are used to enhance the overall benefits of meditation. If you are a religious person and doing so can get you connected spiritually, isn’t it great. If you aren’t religious and practising meditation can improve your overall wellbeing is ideal too! The objective of meditation is to transform the mind, thus it’s not religious.
Space And Equipment
As mentioned, meditation is not a religious or spiritual practice. However, if you are practising meditation in that perspective and found that the aids of incense, music and other paraphernalia can help you to focus and connect better, by all means, to use them, but again, they are not essential to meditation. It’s solely up to you to choose what kinds of meditation methods suits you best.
Ideally, you want to find a quiet place that is free from distractions and disturbance for your meditation, but it is not a crucial option. One thing good about meditation is that you can do it anytime and anywhere. Examples, during your short break at work, a stroll in your evening walk or even on commutes. The only downside is the potential to derail due to your environmental stimuli. But then on the bright side, take it as a challenge to your power to focus.
Empty Mind
Other common meditation myths include: that meditation is about emptiness and that you must empty your mind before practising. This is far from the truth. If you can empty your mind, then why should you mediate in the first place? Therefore, there is no need to think about emptying your mind before embarking on the journey of meditation and in fact, it is against the nature of the mind to stop it from processing information.
The goal of meditation is to develop a strong focus on a single thing in that wandering mind and let go of the mental chatter. The rediscovering of the “Awareness of the things in its purest form”. Just try to meditate for five minutes a day to enhance your life. You will be amazed at the results you can achieve in as little as 15 minutes.
Meditation Requires Years Of Practice
It does take some time but still subjected to individuals. If you, do it regularly, you should be able to feel the difference in a pretty short time. This means you will experience a deeper meditative state, the ability to dismiss thoughts and focus easier and better control over your emotion. Never mind about the time frame, it’s the quality that counts.
Must Sit In A Lotus Position
Many have the impression that meditation has to be sited down with your feet cross like the Buddha. This is not necessary even though there are some health benefits to it but it is still up to the person to experiment which postures work best for him. A person can meditate in many postures such as Lying, standing, sitting and even walking. It all boils down to the style that a person feels most comfortable doing. Whereas for the lotus position, it requires lots of practice, so don’t force yourself to do it or you might end up injuring yourself, there are still alternative sitting positions just as good for those who can’t perform the lotus position.
Only About That Moment
Meditation is not a magical ritual. You don’t expect instant results for your quick fix of relaxation and destress just after a session or two. It is a journey. You may be able to find some peace and calmness after a few attempts but it will not last for a long period. You will need to go through some ups and downs before you can truly make your inner peace and harmony stay for long. It’s only until you take the time and effort to find out and experience it yourself, you will realise that most myths are not true.
Final Thoughts
Take your time and do your research on meditation as a whole, knowing which types of technique suits you best, how to go about doing it right, what are you getting yourself into and what to gain from it. – “The cure for ignorance is to question” and you have done well to question all the myths about meditation because that questioning has helped you arrive at the truth.”
