If you are finally ready to walk the path of the monk, you might as well do your best at it. Avoiding common meditation mistakes will help you get you to that desired zen oasis faster than you could ever imagine.
Whether you’re on the verge of mastering your inner zen or just embarking on your meditation journey, the path to mindfulness often presents similar hurdles for many. Through our collective years of meditation experience, we’ve identified 7 prevalent meditation mistakes that practitioners tend to encounter.
Most of us probably kickstarted our journey into mindfulness with the aid of a meditation app, serving as our digital guru. It’s a great starting point for cultivating a meditation routine and even seasoned meditators often return to these apps to guide their practice.
Among the myriad of meditation apps we’ve explored, Insight Timer emerged as our top pick for 2023. Especially for novices, it’s not uncommon to feel a sense of stagnation or doubt the efficacy of meditation despite clocking in numerous hours of practice.
The reality is, each individual’s meditation voyage is distinct, adorned with its own set of challenges and revelations – making it a highly personal and subjective endeavor. Dive into the common meditation mistakes listed below that might be throwing a wrench in your quest for inner tranquility when you attempt to tune in. This insight aims to help you sidestep these common meditation mistakes and foster a more fruitful practice.
#1 You try to “Stop” your thoughts – Meditation Mistakes
On average, the human mind whirls through 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts daily. These thoughts will continue to flutter regardless of your proficiency in meditation. A common misconception, especially among meditation novices, is that the quintessence of meditation and mindfulness is to halt this ceaseless stream of thoughts. However, that’s far from the truth.
So what’s the real deal? Meditation maestros often elucidate the practice using the imagery of clouds drifting across the sky. As you witness the clouds gliding by, the idea is to observe them neutrally, without attempting to clutch onto them or shoo them away. This metaphor elegantly illustrates the essence of meditation—it’s not about stifling your thoughts, but rather about cultivating a sense of detachment or non-judgment towards them as they emerge and fade away. Through meditation, we transition from being entangled in our thoughts to becoming impartial observers, creating a space where we can view them with a balanced perspective as they come and go. This nuanced shift in perspective is what paves the way for a more centered and mindful existence, steering clear of the common meditation mistakes that stem from misconstrued objectives.
#2 You look at meditation as something you “have” to do – Meditation Mistakes
Meditation, at its core, is meant to be a journey of joy and self-exploration. However, it’s not sugar-coated; it can indeed usher in confrontations with inner turmoil, especially when the relentless chatter of the mind becomes the solo soundtrack. The initial stages of meditation can feel akin to navigating a stormy sea—taming the whirlpool of thoughts, sitting amidst discomfort, and facing one’s true self head-on. It’s all too easy to relegate meditation to the ‘chore’ category, especially when it feels like a battle just to get onto the mat. The inner narrative starts brewing, tossing around excuses like, “I don’t have the time,” or “I just can’t switch off,” making the 5 or 10-minute escapade to inner peace seem like an insurmountable feat. When the meditation mat starts to feel like a tug-of-war ground, the practice morphs from a ‘want’ to a ‘have to’, overshadowing the noble intention of fostering a better version of oneself, be it as a partner, friend, colleague, or leader.
In such turbulent waters, it’s pivotal to anchor back to the initial allure of meditation—the ‘why’. Rekindling the memory of why we were drawn to the meditative realm can serve as a gentle reminder of the bounty it promises—stress alleviation, enhanced sleep quality, sharper focus, elevated performance, relaxation, and enriched emotional intelligence. By realigning with these perks, we can begin to perceive meditation not as a grudging obligation but as a self-bestowed reward. This subtle shift in perception can reinvigorate our commitment to the practice, transforming it back to a cherished endeavor rather than a dreaded task. By continually realigning with the essence and benefits of meditation, we craft a nurturing soil where the seeds of mindfulness can flourish.
#3 You set unrealistic expectations – Meditation Mistakes
The aspiration to attain a guru or monk-like enlightenment in every meditation session can set an unrealistic benchmark. Sure, there will be instances where you’ll traverse beyond the ceaseless mind chatter and touch a deep core of inner connectivity. However, it’s crucial to understand that meditation isn’t a magic bullet nor a fleeting endeavor you pursue only till the moment of grand epiphany or transcendence.
Indeed, the most profound boons of meditation often bloom outside the meditation sessions. They manifest in the enhanced quality of your interactions, a tempered reaction to emotional waves and stress, improved sleep, steadier emotional keel, and a refined decision-making ability which not only guides you to make better choices but also eases the decision-making process.
The spectrum of benefits may dawn upon you subtly over days or might take months to become apparent. Instead of anchoring your expectations to a peak experience every time you meditate, adopting a more open approach towards accepting whatever unfolds during each session can be far more rewarding. Engage with meditation in a manner that welcomes whatever emerges, whenever it chooses to surface. This open-ended approach not only aligns with the authentic essence of meditation but also paves the way for a more enriching and less pressured meditation journey. By embracing the practice with an open heart and no stringent expectations, you create a conducive space for personal growth and self-discovery, rendering your meditation practice a continually rewarding journey.
#4 You don’t practice consistently
How often do you engage in physical workouts or exercises each week? Hopefully your answer hovers around 5 to 7 times per week. We hold meditation in parallel esteem with physical exercise, cherishing it as a form of cerebral workout. Hence, it’s prudent to extend the same level of dedication and regularity to meditation as you would to your physical training regimen.
A singular session is a good start, but to truly fortify that muscle of awareness, it’s imperative to clock in those mental reps consistently. A strategy that we’ve found to be effective in maintaining a regular meditation practice involves penciling in meditation slots in your calendar, setting reminders on your phone, monitoring your progress via your chosen meditation app, and jotting down personal goals in journals or diaries.
Further, there’s a sweet simplicity in habituation. Once the practice of meditation becomes a core part of your routine, the effort and thought required to uphold it diminish significantly. By establishing a routine, you’ll gradually find the commitment morphing into a natural facet of your daily life, with other activities orchestrating around your meditation practice. As the saying goes, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Enshrining meditation as a habitual practice not only minimizes the mental effort to sustain it but also paves the way for a seamless integration of mindfulness into your daily life.
#5 You compare your practice to others
There isn’t a definitive right or wrong method to meditate. It’s quite possible that a penchant for self-criticism may have nudged you towards exploring meditation in the first place. If you catch yourself embroiled in self-evaluative thoughts during your meditation sessions—analyzing your posture, scrutinizing your breath, or questioning the positioning of your limbs, you’re certainly not alone.
It’s imperative to become cognizant of where your focus drifts as you settle down for your meditative sessions. One of the core objectives of meditation is to intercept these habitual thought trajectories and gently escort your attention back to your breath. There’s a myriad of established practices designed to assist in redirecting your focus and disengaging from the incessant internal chatter. For instance, the repetition of a mantra as seen in transcendental meditation, or synchronizing your inhalations and exhalations to a count of 4 or 5 seconds, aligning with your natural breathing rhythm, can be quite effective.
By reigning in the capricious monkey mind and severing the loop of self-judgement and negative ideation, you create a fertile ground for a more enjoyable and fruitful meditation experience. This practice of noticing, catching, and redirecting your thoughts not only enriches your meditation sessions but also casts a positive ripple effect across your daily interactions and self-perceptions. Over time, this nurtured awareness cultivates a more harmonious inner dialogue both on and off the meditation mat, paving the way for a heightened sense of peace and self-acceptance.
