Like most people, whenever I was asked “do you Meditate?”, my usual reply was “No, I don’t know how to Meditate.” Coming from India, I had obviously heard about Meditation, but the fact remained that I was ignorant and did not know a thing about it. I knew that it is necessary to quieten the mind but had no idea what it meant to quieten the mind. It was the leap of faith out of sheer desperation which landed me at the doorstep of my Guru. And as they say, when the student is ready, the Master appears. I was truly lucky, rather more blessed than I knew at that time what it meant to find an authentic Guru / Teacher at the very first go. Most people, as I later found at, end up struggling finding the right teacher for themselves at one go. In my spiritual lineage, one becomes a teacher only under two circumstances. The first being, if they have had their own moment of awakening or enlightenment. The Second being, if your Guru asks you to become one. When my Guru asked me to undergo teacher training, I was most certainly not prepared to be one. I was myself learning, barely managing to understand and apply the wisdom, and it was only much later that I understood the path that was being laid down for me. So here let me take this opportunity to remove some of the common myths and misconceptions about Meditation.
- I don’t need to Meditate – I am not stressed out.
This one is like skinny people need not exercise or go to the gym. Very often thin people even though appear thin, they may not have an ideal body fat percentage. And not just for an ideal body fat percentage, but even otherwise, the benefits of exercise are far beyond just limited to weight loss or body sculpting. And it is the same with Meditation. While it is known that Meditation helps calm down the stress hormones, the fact is that it is for everyone. Even if one is generally happy and mostly equanimous, Meditation helps in sustaining that equanimity and promotes general wellness both mental and physical.
- I have too many thoughts. And in meditation there should not be even a single thought.
It is the minds job to think. It is said that on an average the human mind produces anything between 60,000-100,000 thoughts every day. So, if you think you have too many thoughts, it is true. And it is, therefore, even more important to train the mind. But very often as a beginner into the practice even if we sit for 2 minutes and are unable to shut down the internal noise, we tend to feel like a failure. It is this expectation, which makes most people give up even before really starting. Thich Nhat Hanh, world known and famous Buddhist teacher has explained this very beautifully. He explains that just the way we cannot have the sky without clouds, similarly, we can’t have a mind which doesn’t produce any thoughts. As we move through our practice, what changes is our tendency to grasp those thoughts.
- I can’t sit still and I can’t sit in a cross-legged position.
The reason why we sit in a cross-legged position while sitting for our practice is to avoid any physical injury in case we fall asleep while meditating which happens most of the time especially during the initial days. The cross-legged position is in the shape of a triangle or pyramid. And it is well known that pyramids are the most stable structures. There is no prohibition in sitting on a chair, or bed or sofa. In fact, one can even meditate while sitting in the car.
Also there is this expectation of sitting with poker straight backs which can be extremely painful especially if one is not physically trained. The reason why it is suggested to keep our backs comfortably straight is for two reasons – 1) it prevents us from dozing off 2) Meditation or the physical form of yoga is all about finding that space within the mind and the body. As we sit straight and breathe, it helps in deep breathing through our diaphragm rather than shallow breathing that we normally do. The deep breathing calms our nervous system.
The other one is that once into the practice, one shouldn’t move. This can be achieved as we physically train our bodies and move further into our sitting practice. Initially we would all feel uncomfortable especially if one chooses to sit in a cross-legged manner. There would be tingling sensation in the ankle or feet or some or the other form of discomfort. Meditation involves being mindful, kind and compassionate towards the self which includes the body. So don’t be harsh on yourself.
- It requires one to sit for long hours and I don’t have the time.
I am usually asked this question – for how many hours do you meditate? It is a common belief that one should meditate for two-three hours or more and its only then one has a great meditation session. If one loves the practice and enjoys doing it one may eventually get to the point of sitting for hours. But not everyone has the time or the inclination– especially if one is a parent, has work to do, ends up spending a lot of time commuting. Even if one can devote 5 mins a day doing the practice that resonates deep within wholeheartedly with total love, and practice mindfulness during the active time of the day, that in itself is a great start.
- I don’t know if I am doing it right.
We are in the times where there is easy accessibility to lot of information and data. And in that sense there is a spiritual supermarket out there. With different kinds of meditation practices that are available on social media and other online platforms, also comes the doubt, am I doing it right especially if there isn’t any immediate visible benefit.
We live in a day and age where everything is instant. And we all seek for immediate gratification. My Guru always explained that just as the seed doesn’t grow into a tree immediately, it must be regularly watered, tendered to, and slowly and gradually, the seed sprouts, develops roots and starts growing. IThis is how our practice also develops. What is important is to regularly practice and keep growing. There is nothing right or wrong about choosing the practice but what is critical is to understand how our ego construct works.
- Is it a religious practice? What if it is against my religious belief systems?
This by far also prevents people from picking up meditation for they think it is only for people who follow Hinduism, or Buddhism or Jainism. However, contrary to any religious belief systems, meditation is about building concentration, focus and awareness. It teaches us how to let go and not grasp, especially those things or thoughts which do not serve us any more.
- Will I have to follow dietary restrictions to be able to Meditate?
One doesn’t have to follow any dietary restrictions in terms of food or beverages when it comes to undertaking a practice. Meditation teaches us to make conscious choices instead of compulsive choices. However, it may so happen for some people that as they progress along some dietary changes may happen. But those changes are not forced, they are just natural.
- It will make me submissive and less passionate about life.
A lot of my friends have given me this reason for not wanting to Meditate. They think that if one meditates, then one shouldn’t get angry or emotional. And in today’s day and age, if one has to get some work done or achieve something, or be successful, one must be shrewd and should be able to command. And that one becomes a saint if one meditates and that they are not ready to become saints.
Once we truly start understanding the wisdom, we undertake the journey of becoming Masters of our life, instead of running or living our life on set pattern of conditioning or dogmas. The wisdom behind Meditation teaches us to be compassionate – which is both towards self and the others. And therefore becoming submissive or a doormat is a misconception. It helps us understand the interconnectedness and teaches us collaboration. In fact as we grow our roots, we become even more passionate about all of Life and the resistance towards Life reduces.