“I know it would be good for me to meditate so why is it so hard to get myself to do it?” This is one of the top three questions I am routinely asked by clients and friends. So, if you are wondering this, you have plenty of company. Here is the lowdown on three of the reasons.
1). It’s not “normal.” It goes against our conditioning to be productive; we are internally and externally rewarded for getting things done, not for stillness. Consider this: carving out even 12 minutes of daily meditation can help your productivity by bringing more clarity, calm, and focus. Put meditate on your “to-do” list so that you have the satisfaction of completing a task.
2). Fear. The fear of feeling uncomfortable emotions, of what thoughts may arise, and how we will manage these thoughts and feelings without distracting ourselves by scrolling through our social media feeds, eating, or “doing” a task. Consider this: the fear of what may come up is usually stronger than what actually does or does not arise. Try it and see. You can always stop.
3). My mind won’t stop! We ALL have “monkey minds” which work 24-7. We don’t want our minds to stop, otherwise we would not be alive. The goal is to direct our mind to presence, using anchors such as our breath, sounds, or mantras, so that we don’t get hijacked by our incessant thoughts. When thoughts naturally arise, we notice them and return to our anchors – again and again and again. Consider this: if you can breathe, you can meditate.
For support, join my free weekly, women’s-only meditation group on Thursday mornings from 8:30am – 9amPT.