Common Misconceptions about Meditation and Mindfulness Practices

When I tell people that I teach meditation and mindfulness practices, very often I get these three reactions:

"Isn’t that a religious activity? Isn't it part of your Hindu tradition?" – Yes, most religions, including Hinduism, do advocate meditation practices as part of their spiritual tradition - some even believe that prayer is a form of meditation. I personally prefer to stay out of these. For me, meditation is to the mind; what weight/resistance training is to the body/muscle tone. Recent scientific research shows that regular meditation (whether it be religious or non-religious) based on visualization, deep-breathing and a relaxed focus help build mental resilience, reduce stress and anxiety. I prefer to focus on these benefits.

"Meditation is deep stuff– I don’t have days and months to spend mastering the technique of meditation. Don’t I have to get a guru or something?" - Actually, a good instructor can help you master the basics of meditation and mindfulness practice within a few hours. Most of my students spend 10-15 minutes 5 days a week to recharge and re-energize themselves. You don’t need hours of meditations to acquire these simple and powerful benefits of meditation.

"You know I worry a lot and I don’t think I can focus" – Surprisingly, my experience has been that people who worry constantly tend to be good meditators! I think it has to do with the fact that such people tend to have active imagination. These people can also visualize very well – an ability that can be very powerful to create vivid and positive images in the mind to relax and energize. Also, meditation is not about “stopping” your thoughts. It is about bringing back self-awareness and focus to your mind, when it is distracted.

Yes – there are several forms of meditation and mindfulness practices and I encourage you to explore many of them before selecting the one that suits you. If you feel restless sitting down for meditation, I recommend that you try Tai-Chi or Walking meditation. (Check out my blog article – “You Do What with a Tennis Ball” - http://stressreduction123.blogspot.com/2010/03/you-do-what-with-tennis-ball.html)

Meditate on Meditation to find your answer to what is best for you!