Meditation Tips and Myths

Myth 1: I Don't Have Time to Meditate

In this recent study, just twelve minutes of meditation a day helps reduce depressive symptoms and also showed "improvement in stress-induced cellular aging." Anti-aging and decreased depressive symptoms for just twelve minutes a day!

I am a meditation teacher, so I have to find time for meditation. I realize other women's schedules may be very different. So when I need to recommend a meditation exercise to an extremely busy client, I use a litmus test: could my sister find time for that?

My sister has two young boys under the age of three and lives in New York City. (Just thinking about New York City makes me busy!) If she sat down to meditate for twelve minutes, she would fall asleep. Asking someone with her schedule to meditate even for twelve minutes may be unreasonable; but asking her to do it while breast-feeding, or before she starts her weekly get-away/work-out at the gym is possible!

Myth 2: Meditation Is for Spiritual People

Most meditation styles have roots in a type of spiritual practice. For instance, the method used in the study mentioned above is a Yogic meditation with roots in Hinduism. However, like most meditation practices, it requires no connection to the spiritual tradition which started it.

For those seeking meditation styles with no spiritual roots, try Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction (MBSR) started in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a Boston-based MD. He put mindfulness techniques through scientific testing and created a system for health care practitioners to learn so they could apply the benefits of meditation to their patients.

Myth 3: Meditation Is Hard-It Means I Have to Stop Thinking

This is the most damaging myth I hear from clients, many of whom say they "can't meditate" because they "can't stop thinking." This is akin to saying, "I can't go into the ocean because there are waves." Our thoughts are like the waves of the ocean.

They will always be there. Ideally, with meditation practice, you can learn to swim in the waves and enjoy them!

The peace people find in meditation comes from being able to remain centered, even if thoughts and emotions are raging all around them. The present moment is always peaceful. However, it takes some degree of focusing power to stay in the present moment. Meditation is simply building up your focus stamina, just as running builds your lung capacity.

When you have a certain degree of focus stamina developed, you will experience the benefits of meditation on and off the meditation mat. Just like building a muscle, it just starts with the first step.

If you want to meditate but aren't sure, start today with this simple meditation method.

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