Meditation was new once to me as well. I have been struggling to learn itfor a few years before I finally realized that I was going the wrong way about it.
All the books I've read on beginner meditations were telling me that I would have to go to a Buddhist temple to learn to meditate, or join a meditation group to follow a guru guide, or at least spend the rest of my life in quiet contemplation and retreat in order to gain the insight.
At the same time they were telling me about all these wonderful gifts that I would get once I was a regular meditator (some of which I will mention below). Of course, I became in love with the notion of meditation and began practicing it ... only to miserably fail.
The reason I've been going about it the wrong way was because I had higher goals in my mind than I actually needed. I wanted to meditate for all the wrong reasons:
Basically I started the entire idea on the wrong foot. I had the wrong expectations about the benefits of meditation and my goals for learning it.
Then I gave up for a while.
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And eventually I picked it up again. This was a few years after, when I was in a major depression at work (it was a few years before I quit my job and started out as self-employed).
I found it unbearable to wake up to go to work every morning, and I found it unbearable to sit through at work every day.
I was going home depressed and I was letting all my anger and frustration on my hubby.
I just wanted to get away from it all, at least for a short time.
Somehow at some point, maybe guided by instinct, I picked up an old guided meditation CD, put on my headphones one evening and simply started to listen to it and follow its instructions without any preconceived notion about what I wanted to get out of it. I just simply let it guide me.
Much to my surprise, after the meditation session, I was much calmer, more relaxed and while I still dreaded going to work the next day, I felt that something changed in me. Something shifted.
This was my turning point.
I realized that meditation for beginners is quite possible. Afteral, I was a beginner again, after not having meditated for a few years.
Also I was a beginner because I no longer had all those inflated notions, goals and expectations about what I would gain from a meditation session. I was free to accept everything that the practice would offer me without bias and false hopes.
I was ready.
From this point onwards I was meditating regularly simply for the sheer fun of it and for the calmness and peace it was offering me after a 20 minutes session. I really started to enjoy the process instead of waiting for its benefits.
All the books I've read on beginner meditations were telling me that I would have to go to a Buddhist temple to learn to meditate, or join a meditation group to follow a guru guide, or at least spend the rest of my life in quiet contemplation and retreat in order to gain the insight.
At the same time they were telling me about all these wonderful gifts that I would get once I was a regular meditator (some of which I will mention below). Of course, I became in love with the notion of meditation and began practicing it ... only to miserably fail.
The reason I've been going about it the wrong way was because I had higher goals in my mind than I actually needed. I wanted to meditate for all the wrong reasons:
- I wanted to attain enlightenment, to become as 'cool' as the Zen monks in the Hollywood movies.
- I wanted to become psychic and was hoping that through meditation my spirit guides and angels will hold conversations with me on a regular basis - sad to say that they never really appeared.
- I wanted to become the center of attention among my circle of friends, so I can say 'yes, I'm meditating and I've gains all these many benefits from it'. They others would say 'wow I want to learn meditation for beginners too'.
Basically I started the entire idea on the wrong foot. I had the wrong expectations about the benefits of meditation and my goals for learning it.
Then I gave up for a while.
I found it unbearable to wake up to go to work every morning, and I found it unbearable to sit through at work every day.
I was going home depressed and I was letting all my anger and frustration on my hubby.
I just wanted to get away from it all, at least for a short time.
Somehow at some point, maybe guided by instinct, I picked up an old guided meditation CD, put on my headphones one evening and simply started to listen to it and follow its instructions without any preconceived notion about what I wanted to get out of it. I just simply let it guide me.
Much to my surprise, after the meditation session, I was much calmer, more relaxed and while I still dreaded going to work the next day, I felt that something changed in me. Something shifted.
This was my turning point.
I realized that meditation for beginners is quite possible. Afteral, I was a beginner again, after not having meditated for a few years.
Also I was a beginner because I no longer had all those inflated notions, goals and expectations about what I would gain from a meditation session. I was free to accept everything that the practice would offer me without bias and false hopes.
I was ready.
From this point onwards I was meditating regularly simply for the sheer fun of it and for the calmness and peace it was offering me after a 20 minutes session. I really started to enjoy the process instead of waiting for its benefits.
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