Blog Post #62: 3 Myths of Meditation That Will Change Your Life

Blog Post #62: 3 Myths of Meditation That Will Change Your Life

Once you understand these 3 myths of meditation it will change the way you look at meditation for good.

3 Myths
1) Meditation must be done in a quiet place with no distractions.
2) Meditation must be done for a certain period of time to obtain benefit.
3) Meditation is pointless for someone under extreme stress with little time.

If we waited to meditate when we can sit in a quiet room with no distractions then most of us would never get to it. Granted, when beginning meditation it will help to sit in a quiet spot with little distractions to understand how deep and how peaceful you can go with this practice. But the point of meditation is to remind us of a place inside so peaceful and untouched by the goings on in the world with all its judgments and stress and ego. And sometimes the best place to practice is right in the midst of all that stress, chaos, judgment and disruption.

Once you do take a moment to meditate right in the midst of the stress and chaos, you will be amazed at how easy it is to drop into that place in which peace, calm and unconditional love reign. This is sometimes called the true self or the higher self.

I’ll leave you with a simple exercise to practice during chaotic moments at the end of this blog so don’t miss out! Memorize it and practice it next time you find yourself stressed.

2) It is certainly nice to have time to meditate. And the longer you spend here the easier it is to come back to this space inside and drop in more deeply and more quickly. However, the goal of meditation is to remind yourself of the true you by dropping into the actual experience of what it feels like as the true you, or the true self. You are already you, so all this takes is a moment of presence to forget the distraction, forget the chaos, and relish in the feeling of your true self as peace, calm and unconditional love for yourself and others. This doesn’t take 30 minutes twice daily to work. This takes a moment, a single moment of presence to simply remember your “self”.

3) As proved false by the first 2 myths of meditation, someone who is under extreme stress with little time not only can easily meditate, but is the prime candidate for it. Who needs the benefits of meditation more than someone under extreme stress with little time for anything else? And all it takes is a moment of time to experience the benefits of meditation. Once you realize how taking this moment for yourself here and there actually tunes you into more creativity, focus, and problem-solving that comes from the soul, then you’re hooked. And this actually reduces stress and seems to expand time to make room for all of your endeavors.

So take a moment to memorize this meditation so that you can drop in the next time you find yourself in a moment of stress and chaos. Get excited for a stressful or chaotic situation to come along so that you can practice! And remember, it doesn’t have to be  stress and chaos that warrants this brief meditation. You can practice this simple meditation while standing in line at the grocery store, making your kids lunches for the week, or folding those endless baskets of laundry. Any moment is the perfect chance to tap into your true self and experience the peace, calm, focus, creativity, and unconditional love that that entails. 

So the next time you find yourself overwhelmed with intense stress or just in a chaotic situation in general do the following:

Meditation Mantra: Relax ~ Inhale ~ Exhale and Drop
Relax. (Your shoulders, face, and body.)
Inhale. (Relax your lower belly as you take a deep breath in.)
Exhale and Drop. (Exhale the chaos, stress, judgments, and thoughts as you drop into the space in which you feel complete peace, calm, and unconditional love, a place untouched by the goings on of the world.)

Pat yourself on the back, you did it!