Since the turn of the century, meditation has grown in popularity. However, with its reputation also grows misconceptions. So, we’re here to set the record straight.
While they do have wondrous effects on one’s physical and emotional states as cultural backgrounds suggest, these practices are far from being based on magic. It is through a combination of research and people’s testimonies that the reputation of meditation as beneficial for your health was actually cemented.
And the thing is, the process of meditation is simple: mindfulness. It is through this that the brain rewires to cope with life’s stressors and shift the focus toward happiness. Though the specific steps may change because of variations, the principles remain the same. But even then, it’s still not on top of people’s lists when it comes to coping mechanisms for stress.
What’s holding them back?
Despite the fact that its mood-boosting benefits are widely-known, there are plenty of myths surrounding meditation. People steer clear of it because they don’t understand it or certain expectations don’t get met in the process.
The truth is, meditation is not a cure-all magic trick that will instantly make your health issues go away. Instead, it’s a practice that recalibrates your brain to focus on the positives. This isn’t a bandage that you plaster on to a problem to fix it, it’s a daily discipline that conditions you to be mentally and emotionally ready to face them.
So, before you start your practice, know that there are certain things meditation can and can’t do. Let’s debunk those myths one by one.
MYTH #1: You can do meditation easily.
The idea of staying still and doing nothing seems pretty straightforward and simple. Some people think that this comes naturally and anyone can do it, but we hate to break it to you: this is actually not that simple. Sitting still with a quiet and clear mind can be quite difficult.
But the good news is, it can be learned. This is why meditation is called a “practice”, because it is something that needs to be cultivated through repetition and constant training. Think of it like strength training and exercise. You need dedication and discipline to get the best results.
Experts suggest that the ideal practice for meditation is daily in periods of 30-45 minutes to reap its benefits optimally. Though building it as a habit can be challenging, it’s worth investing your time in. The key is to intentionally schedule it within your day. It can be during the morning when you wake up, while you do your exercise routine, or perhaps as your final step in your sleep hygiene.
What’s important is that you block off some time for it and do it on a daily basis. Block it off on your calendar or use digital planners like TimeBloc so you will receive reminders when it’s time to meditate.
MYTH #2: You need to quiet your mind to have a successful meditation practice.
One of the biggest reasons people don’t meditate is because they feel like it’s impossible for them to quiet their minds. The idea of “clearing the mind” of any and all thought is enough to make some people run in the other direction. Not only does this water down the essence of meditation, it puts unnecessary pressure on you to remove all the chatter in your head as you do it. Going into meditation with this mindset will make you even more stressed.
In reality, it is normal to have intrusive thoughts when you are meditating. Your thoughts will wander away from time to time and that’s okay. This doesn’t mean that you are failing or you are bad at meditating. When the mind gets distracted, all you have to do is refocus and return to your object of attention - the breath, mantra, or your visualization.
Remember that the essence of meditation is mindfulness, the act of being fully present. If anything, to be fully present is to actually think. Except that your thoughts are focused on present things around you — this helps ground you into a more meditative state.
MYTH #3: You need to have years of experience to experience the benefits.
Meditation has both short-term and long-term benefits. The longer you have practiced, the better the benefits you will be reaping. However, this doesn’t mean that new meditators won’t get to enjoy the benefits.
In fact, meditation has an instantly calming effect, regardless of how long you’ve been practicing. Even with just 5-10 minutes a day of mindfulness meditation, you can already enjoy its mood-boosting and stress-reducing benefits.
MYTH #4: You need to do yoga to meditate.
Yoga, somehow, became synonymous with meditation and some people think that you can’t do one without the other. While the combination of these two will definitely be better, it doesn’t mean that you can’t practice just one of them.
Meditation can also happen even with just doing deep-breathing exercises. You don’t need to do yoga or have years of experience being a yogi to practice meditation. However, if you want a more holistic experience, incorporate meditation into your yoga sessions. This way, you’ll also be able to exercise your body and not just your mind.
MYTH #5: You need complete silence to meditate.
As surprising as it may sound, silence is not a requirement in meditation. You also don’t need to go to a special place, a church, or a religious area to meditate. You can do it anywhere and anytime you want.
The only reason why a quiet place is recommended is because it makes it easier to tune out noise when there’s little of it in the first place. This is especially true if you’re a beginner because it takes a little bit more skill to not pay attention to noises when meditating. So, if you aren’t that confident in your skills yet, it is best to stay away from crowded or noisy places.
If there’s really no place you can go where you can have some amount of quiet, you can always resort to tools that can tune the noise out for you. This can be your earphones or perhaps calming sounds to drown out the noise of your surroundings.
There are also several guided meditation audios that can help you concentrate better.
MYTH #6: You will have an out-of-body experience when meditating.
Okay, we’re just gonna go ahead and say it: your spirit will stay with you while you meditate.
Despite its cultural background, meditation doesn’t involve magic (unless you’re a magical being yourself.) Some might have supernatural expectations of meditation, thinking it will give them an out-of-body experience, but it won’t. So, don’t expect to levitate or do astral travel because that’s not likely to happen.
The magical side of it though is in how divinely blissful and enlightened you might feel during or after you meditate. The real benefits of this practice aren’t magical or supernatural. Instead, it is felt more in the transcendental changes in your life. It inspires you to be more compassionate and live life more centered.
MYTH #7: There is only one way to meditate.
Most people think there is only one way to meditate and that’s to sit still and be silent. Not only does this sound really boring, but it’s not even close to the truth.
There are actually several types of meditation that you can do because there are different variations stemming from different cultures. Fascinating, right? This practice has been around for a really long time and naturally, has branched out into different styles. While there are some evergreen ancient techniques, there are also several modern ways of meditation.
The goal, however, has remained the same over the years — to have an elevated awareness of oneself and to calm the mind. The fun part is that you don’t have to stick to just one method of meditation. In fact, you’re probably better off exploring different ways to meditate and finding the ideal one for you.
MEDITATION IS GOOD FOR YOU. THAT’S A FACT.
Despite the misconceptions surrounding this ancient practice, the undeniable truth remains constant: it offers a bounty of health benefits that you should take advantage of. Improved concentration and mood is just the tip of the iceberg. It can run deep as even improving your relationship with yourself and others.
So, despite all the myths that you hear, just persevere and do your own study of what meditation is about. The informed way is still the best way to go about it when it comes to discovering what meditation can do for you.
