Meditation is a huge part of my day-to-day wellness practice, and has so many proven, amazing benefits that I highly recommend considering it for yourself.
How amazing? A meditation practice can:
- Dramatically lower stress
- Lessen worry and anxiety while enhancing mindfulness
- Improve mental strength and focus
- Lead to greater memory and recall
- Heighten creativity
- Lower blood pressure and lessen inflammation
- Give you increased energy and support your immune system
- Improve longevity
Just to name a few! (Check out this great infographic for 76 Benefits of Meditation along with the research to back it up here!)
Bottom line: Meditation is like flossing for your soul. It gets in all the hard-to-reach places, prevents the bad stuff from sticking around, and you should do it at least once a day!
This is exactly why I always wanted to start a meditation practice of my own, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret– I’m terrible at it.
Every time I sat down to try an meditate the ‘right’ way, I’d immediately have to pee, couldn’t stop thinking about the email I hadn’t answered, one of the cats would decide it was the perfect time to see about balancing on my head, and seconds would stretch into minutes that would drag on seemingly forever. I’d end up frustrated, unfocused, and worrying that I wasn’t spiritual enough.
If you can at all relate, I’d like to let you in on another little secret– that’s total bullshit. And I speak from personal experience!
The problem isn’t that you aren’t spiritual enough, or even that you’re ‘bad’ at meditating. The problem is that we’ve been taught that meditation looks a certain way; that to be ‘good enough’ at it, we have to do it the ‘right way’ – conjuring images of monks sitting in stillness and quiet for hours upon hours, or that girl on instagram (you know the one) who “just finished my third hour-long meditation for the day! #discipline #stillnessfordays
So, if you’re anything like me, and have been convinced that you’re terrible at meditating, or would really love to tell Ms. Insta-thrilled to stuff it with the most love possible, these no-nonsense tips are especially for you!
No-Nonsense Meditation Tips for People Who Are Bad at Meditation
- Ditch the Perfectionism
Meditation, by definition, doesn’t mix well with pressure and self-inflicted impossible standards. Recognize that effective meditation doesn’t take place in a closed box– it is expansive by nature. Let it be expansive within you too! It doesn’t have to look a certain way, take place a certain way, be a certain amount of time. The more you allow meditation to be whatever it can or you now, the more it will continue to evolve to fit you and your life. No laundry list of rules and standards required! - Try Guided Meditation
Guided meditation uses direction to help you accomplish a certain goal and keep you focused. It’s a great tool for you if you’re just starting out, or, like me, have trouble sitting still in the silence of traditional meditation. There are tons of amazing guided meditations online – they’re a great way to get the benefits of meditation without having to sit in quiet if you’re not ready for that yet! - Find Your Quiet
Some of the best advice I’ve ever received came from a psychic I spoke with on the phone. She said to me, “Remember that everyone finds their quiet in their own way.” This was a revelation to me. It opened up a whole new world of possibilities when it came to having the meditation practice I always wanted. You can find your own quiet, in your own way, and it isn’t supposed to look like the next person’s quiet. For me, it’s being immersed in nature some how. I get more out of an 15 minute walk through the woods than sitting in silence for an hour. Be open to where your quiet might come from. When do you feel most in tune, most connected? Where do you sense the most quiet? - Start Small
Seriously. I can’t stress this enough. On the first day of your shiny new meditation practice, don’t jump into a 2 hour meditation. Approach meditation like you would working out – start small, and start where you are. Five, ten, fifteen minutes – that’s nothing to be ashamed of! The important part isn’t how long you’re at it, but how open you are to the process. Set small goals and gradually work your way up. - Be Kind to Yourself
Whether you’re new to meditation or a veteran with a full-on meditation practice, in all things, be kind to yourself. If you struggle to meditate, miss days, can’t do it for as long as you’d like, get distracted, find yourself watching the clock, try something new and it just isn’t working… whatever you’re experiencing offer yourself grace. Find gratitude for the space and willingness to try something new. Be kind to yourself. You are in the process of becoming, as we all are.