How to Meditate - The 6 Biggest Obstacles to Meditation

I've struggled with meditation most of my life. Over a span of 15 years, I purchased meditation CD's, attended meditation classes and read books on meditation, yet was still unable to incorporate it into my daily life. The meditation CD's usually put me to sleep and the classes and books made me feel like a failure! In fact, my first meditation was quite painful and I always felt like I was too busy to meditate!

The sad truth is that while most of us are aware of the benefits of meditation, very few of us actually have a regular meditation practice. There are a lot of obstacles to overcome in order to incorporate meditation into our daily lives. I overcame those obstacles and have been meditating daily for two years as well as meditating periodically throughout the day! Through meditation I have experienced more peace and joy in my life, I've become less reactive and less stressed and I have more energy and creativity! And I know you can experience these benefits as well!

But first, I think it's important to define what meditation is? Many of us have misconceptions about meditation. The most common misconception is that meditation is about getting rid of thought! That would set anyone up for failure! Meditation, rather, is about becoming the observer of thought rather than the reactor to thought.

Meditation, pure and simple, is being fully present in the moment! In this meditative state you are aware of the truth of who you are beyond your body and your mind.

Have you ever been in awe at a beautiful sunset? So much so that you forgot about what happened 5 minutes ago, and you weren't thinking about the future? You were completely in the moment and had this sense of aliveness inside? Well, that's meditation!

So now that we know what meditation is, how do we incorporate it in to our daily lives? I knew the reasons why I had struggled for years before I developed a regular meditation practice, but I was curious to see if others had the same reasons, so I conducted an international survey on the biggest obstacles to meditation and received over 400 responses from people in 46 different countries. Below are the TOP SIX biggest obstacles to meditation, and how you can overcome them!

Obstacle #1: Not having enough time

The biggest obstacle people face in developing a regular meditation practice is TIME. We don't have enough time to meditate! (Interestingly enough this wasn't just an "American" phenomenon. People from all across the globe mentioned they didn't have enough time to meditate).

Yet there are 4 simple ways to incorporate meditation into your life without taking ANY time out of your current schedule!

First, I invite you to convert your waiting time into meditating time.

The average person waits 45-60 minutes a day. We wait for appointments, we wait in traffic, we wait in line at the grocery store and we wait on hold on the phone. Yet those precious "waiting times" can be converted into meditating times.

So next time you are waiting for an appointment, take a moment to notice your breath. Or next time you are waiting in line at the grocery store, take a moment to smile from the inside.

Second, have a daily activity be your meditation. You can incorporate meditation into any of these daily activities:

*brushing your teeth

*emptying the dishwasher

*showering

*eating

*walking

*folding laundry, ironing

As you brush your teeth, notice your breath. Or notice the aliveness in your hands and mouth. As you empty the dishwasher, feel the aliveness in your hand as you put each dish away.

Third, have your dog or cat be your meditation! Have you ever noticed when walking your dog how your dog is completely in the moment, taking in its' surroundings? Well you can join your dog in this blissful state. When walking the dog notice the aliveness in your feet with each step. Notice the aliveness of the trees, birds, your surroundings. While petting the cat, notice the softness of the fur. Be completely present with your dog or cat!

Four, meditate while driving! Now, of course, do NOT close your eyes and meditate while driving. But you can be completely present while driving, with your eyes open. While driving, notice the aliveness in your hands as you touch the steering wheel. Or at a stop sign or in traffic, notice your breath.

These are simple ways you can incorporate meditation into your daily life without taking ANY time out of your current schedule. If we all did these simple things, we'd have a daily meditation practice!

Obstacle #2: Lack of Self-Discipline

The second biggest obstacle people face in incorporating meditation into their daily life is lack of self-discipline! Meditation takes discipline. I know many of us start out with great intentions to meditate daily or to exercise daily and we might do it for a couple of weeks, but then we lack the discipline necessary to continue.

That's why life coaches, personal trainers and other professions have been created! To hold us accountable and to keep us focused!

So if you lack self-discipline, find a meditation partner! Ask your spouse, partner, friend, coworker to join you in incorporating meditation into your daily life. Hold each other accountable.

Or even if you can't find someone that wants to meditate with you, tell your spouse/friend/partner/coworker of your intention to meditate daily and ask him/her to check in with you and ask you how you are doing.

Just as an exercise partner is beneficial and productive, a meditation partner can be too!

Obstacle #3: Not having the right place or space to meditate

The third biggest obstacle people mentioned is NOT having the right place or space to meditate! This is a "perceived obstacle." You can literally meditate anywhere; while driving a car or walking through a crowded mall.

People often use not having a special place or specific area as an excuse to NOT meditate. If we continually wait for the right circumstances to meditate, we'll never meditate.

I give people a meditation assignment: to meditate in a public place! They can walk through the wall and notice people and places, while observing their breath or noticing the aliveness in their feet.

Obstacle #4: Falling Asleep

The fourth most common obstacle to meditation is falling asleep. And yet many meditation CD's say that it's okay if you fall asleep because you are still receiving the benefits of meditation...The only benefit you're receiving is a peaceful sleep! And yet, that is a benefit too! Meditation is awareness. It's being fully present in the moment. When you're asleep, you're asleep, not meditating.

Here are some tips if you fall asleep while meditating:

*Don't meditate at night before bed. So often many of us want to meditate daily but don't think about it until we are in bed or getting ready for bed and then we try to meditate. Of course we'll fall asleep.

*Try meditating in the morning or mid day when you are alert.

*Meditate in small increments throughout the day. Again, notice your breath for a couple minutes while brushing your teeth or showering.

Obstacle #5: Too many distractions

The fifth most common complaint from people is that there are too many distractions to meditate. Yet distractions don't have to be distractions.

For example, during one of my meditations, my cat Vinnie came up to me and started meowing. He wouldn't stop either. He wanted my attention. Now to most people, this would be a distraction and a reason to stop meditating. Instead, I opened my eyes, sat down on the floor with him and petted him while noticing my breath. I incorporated my cat into my meditation. Instead of allowing him to become a distraction, he became my meditation!

If you are meditating and a distraction happens. Just notice it. Allow it to be. If it's something that needs your attention, tend to whatever needs to be done, while still observing your breath!

Obstacle #6: Not knowing how to meditate

So many people feel that they don't know how to meditate. We make meditation more complicated than it really is! Again, meditation is about being present in the moment. It's really about finding what works for you!

Again, you can incorporate meditation into your life without taking time out of your schedule. Your life can become a meditation. It is those moments throughout the day that we are fully present in the moment that matter. And through meditation, we discover the bliss of being that we are!

Lisa Hepner is an author, speaker and meditation facilitator. She is the creator of the international "Don't Wait-Meditate" campaign which gets people to pledge to convert their waiting time into meditating time. She is the creator of Project Meditate whose goal is to help people develop a daily habit of meditation.

Sign the official Don't Wait-Meditate pledge and receive a FREE report on the "7 common misconceptions about meditation" and access to a FREE video library of 17 videos on all aspects of meditation, go to: http://www.projectmeditate.com

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Meditation, Consciousness, And Waking Theta - Vishen Lakhiani - Impact Theory

Meditation: A Beginners Guide for Everyone

Meditation is one of the great eastern practices that has started to take hold in western culture. In fact, people all over the world are benefiting from it, both in mind and body. So, why isn't everyone meditating? It could be that not everyone knows of all the amazing benefits like increased relaxation, and decreased levels of anxiety and depression. This article contains a run down of only some of the many benefits of meditation, and a set of instructions for starting your own meditation practice.

This article is split into two main sections. First, we discuss the benefits of meditation. After that, we talk about how you can start your own meditation practice. If you don't know of the many benefits of meditation, we recommend you read through the next section. It will help to motivate you to stick with your practice. If you already know the benefits of meditation, feel free to skip forward.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

There have been many studies performed on meditation in the last decade trying to understand its effects, as well as how it manages to help us so much, both in mind and body.

Research into meditation has demonstrated that meditating for a short time increases alpha waves, which makes us feel more relaxed, while simultaneously decreasing our feelings of anxiety and depression. Alpha waves flow through cells in the brain's cortex, where we process sensory information. These waves help suppress irrelevant or distracting sensory information, allowing us to focus. The more alpha waves we have, the better we focus.

In his book, "What Is Meditation?", Rob Nairn refers to meditation as a state of "bare attention." He explains, "It is a highly alert and skillful state of mind because it requires one to stay psychologically present and 'with' whatever happens in and around one without adding to or subtracting from it in any way."

Meditation has many health benefits. Interestingly, an increased ability to focus allows those who suffer from chronic pain to ease their pain by choosing not to focus on it. It can also help with various other health problems, including: anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, HIV/AIDS and cancer. It can also enhance the body's immune system, making us less likely to get sick.

Studies have also shown that meditation can help to reverse heart disease. In the journal Stroke, 60 african/americans suffering from a hardening of the arteries were asked to meditated for 6-9 months. Those who meditated showed a notable decrease in the thickness of their artery walls. Those who didn't meditate showed an increase in thickness. The conclusions were quite dramatic. Meditation offers a potential 11% decrease in risk of a having a heart attack, and 8-15% decrease in risk of having a stroke.

Meditation benefits our minds as well. It teaches us to better control our thoughts. This gives us the ability to quiet those nagging negative thoughts we may have from time to time.

A 2007 study, titled "Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources" in PLOS Biology, suggests that frequent meditation leads to longer attention spans.

A 2008 study, titled "Regulation of the neural circuitry of emotion by compassion meditation: effects of medtative expertise" in PLOS One, found that those who meditated had stronger levels in areas of the brain tied to empathy.

Through meditation, we gain better concentration, spontaneity and creativity, happiness and peace of mind. Actors experience the effects of meditation on creativity first hand during acting classes. Whenever they make use of their creative impulses, they first meditate. It may seem odd at first, but the results are amazing. Creativity floods to the surface once the mind is cleared of clutter.

Finally, meditation can help us to discover our purpose in life. By turning our attention inwards, and focusing purely on our own being for long periods of time, meditation can help us gain a new perspective at life, unhindered by our own egoistic perspective. If you want to ask the very philosophical question, "Who am I?," there is no better way than through meditation.

Enough, though, about the many benefits of meditation. There are many other websites that describe meditation and how it can help you. Let's start learning how to do it.

STARTING MEDITATION

There is no one way to meditate. As preparation for the process, begin by letting go of any expectations you may have. For the first few times, just sit comfortably on the ground, on a pillow, or in a chair, and attempt to quiet your mind. You will probably have many thoughts swirling through your head; about the laundry, dinner, money, the kids, school, the weekend, etc. Don't struggle and fight against your thoughts. They are perfectly natural. As they pass through your mind, notice them, accept them, and then gently bring your focus and attention back. You will receive a more detailed explanation in a moment. The longer you keep up with your meditation (not in one sitting, but over the course of your life), the longer you can quiet your thoughts, calm your mind, and focus.

We now attempt to answer some questions we anticipate from you.

What should I feel like after I've meditated?

Probably you want to know if you're "doing it right". Most beginners feel the same way. It is common to wonder if you are sitting correctly, or breathing correctly, or focusing on the right thing. In the end, none of that matters. If you feel better after meditating, you're probably doing it right.

Is it hard?

It really isn't, as long as you don't have any expectations going in. Don't expect to sit in perfect serenity your first time through. It's perfectly fine if you don't. Meditation is for you, and for you alone. It is unique to you. Let it be whatever it is, just for you.

When you first start meditating, you may struggle to silence all the inner chatter you have going on in your mind from one moment to the next. We all experience this struggle. You are not alone. The trick is not to fight against it, but just to accept it as part of who you are now, and that you are simply going through a personal transformation. With time, you will learn to calm your mind. There is nothing you need to do to meditate better. There is no need to try to speed things up. If you meditate every day, that is enough (even if it's only for 10 minutes).

What position should my body be in for meditation?

You can meditate in many ways. You can sit on the floor, on a cushion, or in a chair. You can lie down, or stand up, or even walk around! Some monks actually meditate while walking. Place yourself in absolutely any position you want that is most comfortable for you.

How should I breathe during meditation?

Breathe normally. If you can, breathe using your diaphragm, which means air will reach the very bottom of your lungs. This is known as diaphragmatic breathing. It is a great tool for singers. To know if you're breathing like this, your stomach should push out, and then sink back in. You are free to breathe however you like, though diaphragmatic breathing in and of itself is very relaxing and healing. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but as your diaphragm increases in strength (it's a muscle), it will become easier. Those who practice yoga will be very familiar with this form of breathing. Also, if you want to see it in practice, children breathe this way naturally, especially babies.

You can practice breathing using your diaphragm by laying on the ground, placing your hand(s) over your stomach, and trying to push your hand up by breathing deep into your belly. That will give you a sense for what it feels like, and you can then shift your position as you see fit and try to mimic it. Either way, don't fret if you can't sustain it while meditating. Everything will happen in its own time.

If you yawn during meditation, don't worry. It's perfectly natural. When we do a lot of deep breathing, and enter a relaxed state, the body yawns naturally. Don't fight it or think poorly of your ability to focus.

Should I close my eyes, or keep them open?

Whichever you choose. Keep in mind that the practice does not involve actually falling asleep. You are trying to remain alert and keep your focus and attention. If you are sleeping, you are doing neither (and you might fall over, unless you're lying down). You can't keep your eyes completely open, usually, because of dust and whatnot, and our eyes naturally get dry. You will need to blink, at the very least. You may wish to keep your eyes closed, because it helps to focus on what's happening inside your body.

What do I do with my hands?

There are different beliefs here, and it is unclear whether any technique is better than another. If you hold to certain beliefs, then holding specific shapes with your hands, or placing them in different positions, will have different effects. You are free to search around at the various possibilities, if you're interested.

The basic approach is to place your forearms or the backs of your hands over your knees (if you're sitting on the floor), palms up, thumb and wring-finger touching. Another popular position is to sit with your hands in your lap, making an oval shape. The back of your right hand sits in the palm of your left, fingers over fingers, and the two thumbs gently touch each other, forming the oval.

Truthfully, any position will do. Place your hands on your knees if you like. Most prefer to have the hands facing up.

Where should I meditate?

Pick somewhere quiet where you won't be disturbed. Meditation requires prolonged focus, and if your attention is constantly being dragged elsewhere, it will be difficult to carry out until you have more experience. With time, your focus will reach a point where you can meditate anywhere.

When should I practice?

Most books and experts suggest meditating in the morning, when our mind is fully alert. It will help you to focus, and you'll be less likely to become sleepy. If it doesn't fit your schedule to practice in the morning, then do it in the evening. Meditating has too many benefits to avoid it just because you can't do it at the "ideal" time.

ALMOST THERE

Now that you've figured out how your body wants you to sit, and what feels natural to you for your meditation, we outline the basic steps to get you going. It is assumed that you already have a time and a place you're going to meditate that's quiet, where you won't be disturbed.

1. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes, depending on how long you want to meditate for. You should not meditate for longer than 15 minutes for your first few times. The timer will keep you from being distracted and worrying about the passage of time. Try and have a timer that beeps gently, as you may become more sensitive to noise.


2. Start your timer, and then get comfortable.


3. Begin by focusing on your breath. Become aware of how it moves smoothly in and out of your body. Focus on it, and the points where it switches from inhale to exhale. Imagine that your breath is moving in and out of a building, its door opening in both directions and never really closing.


4. You will notice thoughts pop into your head now and again, perhaps quite often at first. Your mind has a certain ebb and flow to it. Accept it, and accept yourself. Your mind and body both know what they're doing. Acknowledge the thought(s), and then bring your focus back to your breath.


5. If you like, you may count your breath. Start by counting every inhale and exhale as one count, separately. Try and get to ten. If your mind wanders off, start counting back at one after you've focused back on your breath. When you get to ten, start again at one.


6. Once you've gotten to ten a few times, try to count each inhale and exhale together as just one count. Again, try to get to ten as described in step 5.


7. If you get to ten many times during step 6, try to focus purely on your breath and your body, and stop counting. Do not worry if this seems impossible. It takes time, and you will definitely get there.

That's it! The more often you meditate, the more quickly you will notice its benefits. You will notice that after a short time, you can easily get to step 7. You'll also notice that you get through the steps faster, as you learn to focus. You might then expand your practice by focusing on a word or mantra of some sort. Anything you find inspirational or motivational is a great mantra to use. Repeat the mantra silently in your head for the duration of your practice.

The hardest part of meditation is sticking with it. Many people get discouraged because they feel they "can't do it." To those feeling discouraged, let go of your expectations. Without those expectations, no-one is judging your meditation. It is only for yourself and your own benefit. If you stick to it for few months, you will get there, guaranteed.

For those who wish to learn more about meditation, consider reading the books: "What Is Meditation?", by Rob Nairn, and "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind", by Shunryu Suzuki.

To read more inspirational and motivational personal development articles [http://www.greatlivingnow.com] on happiness, relationships, and personal fulfillment, pay a visit to Great Living Now [http://www.greatlivingnow.com].

David is a father, husband, singer, actor, writer and PhD student. He has devoted the last few years of his life to finding his inner calling and exploring all facets of his potential. He is constantly seeking out new experiences in life, cultivating the best possible version of himself, maintaining personal happiness, and working ever towards personal fulfillment. Each day he tries and live wholly in the now, spending his energy on things that will make him happy. He is a co-founder of the personal development website, Great Living Now.

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