We live in a highly cerebral world where the busy and distracted mind is valued so much more than the peaceful silent mind. It seems strange to me that we would need to learn to switch our mind off when a little bit of understanding about the nature of the monkey mind is all that is needed.
Which is where we come to the first reason why meditation won’t work for many people. It’s because they try to quiet the mind using the same mind that is creating the problem.
I don’t know how often I’ve heard people say to me that they just can’t stop thinking while meditating or they find it impossible to sit still long enough to feel relaxed. Think of your mind like a rebellious child. The moment you try and control it you’re in for a heck of a time.
We can’t shut the mind up by expecting it to go quiet whenever we want it to – that just doesn’t make sense.
The next reason why most people will fail at meditation is because they have an expectation of what ‘should’ happen.
This again is a misunderstanding of what meditation is and how it works. It just means that more astute study is required before trying to meditate.
For example, did you know that the only time we are actually meditating is when we stop thinking? The mystics call it, ‘entering the gap between our thoughts’. It’s in this empty space that we find what we have been looking for – vast and limitless inner peace.
Even science has been able to measure what happens to our brain while in deep meditation. It shows a direct correlation between our brainwaves and how calm and relaxed we become.
The last reason why almost everyone that starts out with good intentions to meditate won’t learn to shut their mind up is because they view it as a stress relief pill rather than a way to connect deeper within.
Yes, it can and does relieve stress but that is just a by-product of quieting mind and was never the original intent of meditation – that came later on.
When meditation was around thousands of years ago the world wasn’t as hectic as it is now so meditation wasn’t used for relaxation as the pace of life itself was much slower. Instead, it was a way to connect to your spirit and remember who you were beyond the mind and body.
The reality for many when they try to meditate is that it just makes them even more stressed because it frustrates them. The pill certainly isn’t working then 🙂
If you are struggling with meditation then here’s my advice for you – find a better teacher!
Who you learn meditation from matters as they will either set you up to reap all the benefits that comes from it or leave you certain that it’ll never work for you.
If you’re not meditating twice a day for 20 minutes each time then don’t expect to get the full benefits out of any meditation technique.
That’s just one example of the truth of meditation versus smart marketing tactics to lure you in with false hope of a few minutes a day.
The last thing to mention is that I have not met anyone that I haven’t been able to show how to meditate deeply almost instantly.
That knowledge only comes from someone that has the experience to draw upon.
If you’d like to join a group of budding meditators then head over to our group Transcend Limits where we do amazing meditation challenges to get you started.
 
