Last Two of the Six Common Meditation Mistakes

Previously, we have looked at four of  the six most common meditation mistakes. (#1: I'm trying to quiet my mind. #2: I'm just trying to feel peaceful and open during my meditations. #3: "I've been doing the same practice for months or years." #4: "I'm trying to reach enlightenment or a permanent state of bliss.")

 If you have tried meditation and have become frustrated either with maintaining your practice or with a lack of results, do not feel alone. At times, even the most ardent practitioner can be derailed by these snafus.  

Many faults are rooted in typical, fundamental, misunderstandings about what the purpose of meditation is. These can derail any human being despite the best of intentions. The good news is, the meditations taught by Meditation from the Heart and the way they are presented, side-step the common errors entirely, giving you a far more reliable and enduring experience.

As we reveal more common meditation mistakes see if you recognize your own meditation ‘block(s)’.

Meditation Mistake #5: "I use my meditation as an escape from the challenges of life." Some

I'm sure it will be better over there

people may use meditation as a refuge or 'spiritual bypass'. Escaping into meditation to avoid facing or dealing with uncomfortable feelings or issues. This approach does not lead to good results. Rather such avoidance could lead to less, not more, ease and ability to deal with life issues.

Meditation is more about being fully present with everything that is - including discomfort and challenges. If there were no tough challenges in life then our life would become boring. And we would naturally create a situation that provides difficulties for our-self just to shake things up a bit.

Your meditation practice can empower and strengthen you to face truth and reality without hiding. Most of us are human beings who live and work in the world and have not chosen the monastic lifestyle. Please don't use that as an excuse to wait to have a meditation practice until 'the time is right.'

Also, ask yourself, "When or where are you happy?" Is it on vacation? Do you lose that happiness when you come back home and to work? Then treat your work as though you are on vacation. Be happy at work.

Meditation Mistake #6: "I hop from one spiritual teacher to the next trying to find the one who will make me feel the best and fulfill my desires." "Danger Will Robinson!" No one can make you feel anything or fulfill your desires. Only you can do these things for yourself. It is easy to show powerful and wonderful mystical experiences. It is much harder to work at a gentle pace to build a strong foundation which builds a harmonious and contented life. 

Don't be a cyber-bot

Please, do not give your power away to anyone. You and the innate spirit that resides within are perfectly capable of leading you to live a fulfilled life. Let your teachers gently remind and nudge you in the direction that is right for you.

More than anything, realize that we live in an age of fast information, where we can look up something that is puzzling us, read about it and decide if it is helpful or not. The key here is one, not to forget to take the time away from technology to just be with yourself. And two, to remember to move at the pace of a human being - not a cyber-bot.

Two More of the Six Common Meditation Mistakes

Previously, we have looked at two of  the six most common meditation mistakes. (#1: I'm trying to quiet my mind. #2: I'm just trying to feel peaceful and open during my meditations.) If you have tried meditation and have become frustrated either with maintaining your practice or with a lack of results, do not feel alone. At times, even the most ardent practitioner can be derailed by these snafus.  

Many faults are rooted in typical, fundamental, misunderstandings about what the purpose of meditation is. These can derail any human being despite the best of intentions. The good news is, the meditations taught by Meditation from the Heart and the way they are presented, side-step the common errors entirely, giving you a far more reliable and enduring experience.

As we reveal more common meditation mistakes see if you recognize your own meditation ‘block(s)’.

Personal Plateau

Meditation Mistake #3 - "I've been doing the same practice for months or years." First, let's remember that there is no wrong way to meditate. Experienced meditators can hit plateaus. Rote repetition of a single approach can drive you into a 'meditation rut', where your practice has lost some vitality and dynamics you have experienced before. 

If you have been meditating for years (or seems like ages) but aren't sure why you are doing it any more, Can't think of any benefits you are deriving, dread the practice or simply treat it like a habit you are forcing yourself to maintain, then this is probably your issue.

Just like an exercise program you have for your body can get stale - you need to shake it up every once and a while. Introduce some new challenges to stretch yourself. For example go to a group meditation practice, sign yourself up for a retreat or schedule yourself for an all day meditation at your own home or favorite place (not recommended for beginners).

Meditation from the Heart teaches a variety of approaches that inspires you to use your awareness in different ways. Effectively giving you tools that will 'cross-train' your body, mind and spirit. Thus lowering your chances of getting stuck in a rut. Rather, helping your meditation practice to become an ongoing journey of deepening awareness and curiosity. 

Enlightenment

Meditation Mistake #4 - "I'm trying to reach enlightenment or a permanent state of bliss." Don't worry, there are many mini enlightenment's along the way, however, you will still be learning until the day you die. Achieving a specific dramatic state of being or having flashy 'spiritual fireworks' is not the point of meditative cultivation.

If one tries to hold on to or continually go back to an incredible or 'favorite' experience you've had then not only are you actively engaging your mind, but you are also, in essence, holding on to the past and effectively closing yourself off to potentially more magnificent and uplifting experiences.

All states of being have a natural ebb and flow. Let your meditation practice lead you to a great many experiences with balance and liberation from the past. 

Two of the Six Common Meditation Mistakes

For those of you who already have a solid meditation practice – my hats off to you. Yea, yippee! Meditation is one of my favorite things to do. But if you do not have meditation in your life do not worry, it is never too late to begin.

Let’s take a step back here and look at the six most common meditation mistakes. If you have tried meditation and have become frustrated either with maintaining your practice or with a lack of results, do not feel alone. At times, even the most ardent practitioner can be derailed by these snafus.  

Many faults are rooted in typical, fundamental, misunderstandings about what the purpose of meditation is. These can derail any human being despite the best of intentions. The good news is, the meditations taught by Meditation from the Heart and the way they are presented side-step the common errors entirely, giving you a far more reliable and enduring experience.

Even better, the supportive nature of Meditation from the Heart provided in these classes offer in-depth insights on each of the mistakes below, and builds a foundation that will uplift your practice into a realm far beyond these diversions.

As we reveal the following meditation mistakes see if you recognize your own meditation ‘block’.

Meditation Mistake #1 – “I’m trying to quiet my mind.” Many people have been taught that meditation is about having a still mind. This may be the most common assumption about meditation. Untold numbers have conceded “failure” or “not being good at meditation” because they were not able to quiet their mind.

We may have moments of complete stillness within a meditation, but it is not the ultimate goal. Through stillness comes movement. From movement comes stillness.

Your mind is an integral part of your being. You need your mind to help you interpret what is going on in your heart. The trick with meditation is to learn how to simply notice when your mind is drawing you away from your center, acknowledge it, let it go and bring yourself back to your meditation. Sort of like letting the mental music drift in one ear and out the other. 

Mental Music

Meditation Mistake #2 – “I’m just trying to feel peaceful and open during my meditations.” Peace and relaxation are often promoted mistakenly as the primary purpose of meditation. Of course, meditation can produce positive, relaxed sensations, as well as many other related benefits. It won’t always, however, do that. Nothing ever always can do that. Yet many people end up believing they have ‘failed’ at meditation if they don’t feel calm, peaceful and good every time they sit to meditate.

Actually, the first stage of meditation is contemplation. So the first mistake mentioned above has to come into play. One cannot have contemplation without the mind engaged. And one cannot come to peace with the self without out spending time with the self. Sometimes that time will feel really pleasant and at times it will be difficult. The trick is to stick with it until you find the peace you are seeking in that part of you and know that then another aspect will come to the forefront.  Another layer revealed.

Fortunately along your meditation path there will always be another “ah ha!” moment or another feeling of pure joy. Through cultivation you will discover the strengths you naturally possess and a greater confidence to use them as you go about your daily life facing your challenges in a positive, productive way.

Stay tuned next week when we will discover more of the common meditation mistakes.