A myriad of research that has demonstrated the positive effects of a meditation practice on stress, physical health, chronic pain, sleep, mood, concentration, and athletic performance. Meditation can give you a sense of calm and balance that benefits your overall physical, psychological, and emotional health. Research suggests that meditation may also help other conditions such as allergies, anxiety disorders, asthma, cancer, depression, performance, fatigue, high blood pressure, pain, and much more.
5 Myths About Meditation
1. Meditation is too difficult.
Many people assume that meditation is too hard or difficult. This is simply not true. Meditation is a simple as sitting down and breathing, nothing else.
2. Meditation takes too long, I’m too busy, I don’t have the time to meditate.
A simple meditation practice can take between 5-30 minutes. Depending on the time you have available on any given day, fitting meditation into your lifestyle is an easy change.
3. Meditation is a religious activity.
Practicing meditation does not conflict with any religious beliefs. Of course there are many people who use a meditation practice for religious reasons. A meditation practice is simply the cessation of the chatter in the mind, and can be used by all people of any religion.
4. Meditation is hard to learn and I must have a special teacher to teach me.
While studying with a teacher can be a very helpful experience, you do not need a teacher to learn to meditate. Following simple instructions or a guided meditation can enable you to slowly begin to train the mind and body for meditation. With little practice you will be ready to begin to meditate on your own.
5. Meditation is way too boring. I’m too inattentive and I can’t sit still that long, so I can’t meditate.
As with any new endeavor at first you might find it hard to sit still or keep the mind focused by you will quickly learn to calm the mind and body. Cultivating a mindfulness practice through meditation while using your breath will allow you to learn to sit and be still.
Try this simple beginner’s meditation today.
