What Are Your Main Struggles With Meditation Habit?

[Wind]

Hello, guys. I'm about to start my Internet business journey and the first thing that I wanna do is to create a "meditation for beginners" ebook where I take all the unnecessary information and focus on explaining what is meditation, show what meditation can do for you, how to start without getting psyched out, and how to make it into consistent habit.

I've noticed that the reason why most people don't start meditating, although they want to start meditating, is the lack of understanding of what meditation actually is (this is what Leo stresses as well). When asked what meditation is, the common answer is "it's sitting in peace". Or if asked why you don't meditate, the answers are "I need to learn more about the techniques of meditation" or "I can't calm down my mind". And here I've noticed that people don't see that meditation is a training process rather than being at peace. So, in this ebook, I want to clear out the air and set the right expectations and intentions for meditation practice, so any beginner who reads the ebook would have all tools to start and be motivated to meditate daily. At the end I'm even thinking about including a meditation plan.

What I'm doing right now, I'm trying to validate my idea and find out what other struggles beginners face when it comes to meditation practice.

So, what do you think about this idea? What are your main struggles with meditation as a beginner? If you're advanced, what do you think beginners should know and what information would have helped you when you were just starting? Lets discuss it here. I would be grateful if you help me - and respectively I will be able to help other people

[JustinS]

@Wind

1 hour ago, Wind said:

What are your main struggles with meditation as a beginner?

Patience and consistency

1 hour ago, Wind said:

If you're advanced, what do you think beginners should know and what information would have helped you when you were just starting?

To have a strong faith that this is something worth doing without expecting any immediate results. Doing my own research on the benefits of meditation (neurological studies, psychological studies, etc.) so that I can really see that it's not just some woowoo but practical and scientific. To not jump around onto too many different techniques in the beginning but to stick to one for at least a month to give a fare try. 

That every single minute that I have sat was not a minute gone wasted. Whether the session was smooth or a disaster is out of the question. 

 

[Wind]

5 minutes ago, JustinS said:

@Wind

Patience and consistency

To have a strong faith that this is something worth doing without expecting any immediate results. Doing my own research on the benefits of meditation (neurological studies, psychological studies, etc.) so that I can really see that it's not just some woowoo but practical and scientific. To not jump around onto too many different techniques in the beginning but to stick to one for at least a month to give a fare try. 

That every single minute that I have sat was not a minute gone wasted. Whether the session was smooth or a disaster is out of the question. 

 

Thanks for your answer! So for you it would have been easier if you did your own research on the benefits of meditation when you first started? If there was a collection book of all scientific research about meditation it would something you would want as a newbie? But don't you think neurological studies/psychological studies would overwhelm a beginner? Maybe simple explanations of what the benefits are would be more digestible?

[JustinS]

@Wind

Yeah simpIe explanations would be more beneficial. I find that there are hundreds of resources online about the practical benefits and most of them are pretty similar (inc. in happiness, focus, calmness, fulfillment, sleep, memory, anxiety, etc.) Yeah simple ones would be great for beginners. 

WIsh you best. 

[Naviy]

My main struggle is that I cannot be satisfied with the technique I use. For example, I enjoy Do Nothing, and I want to do it. But I also read somewhere, that Mindfulness meditation is necessary too. And I start doing Mindfulness meditation, which is hard for me, and I struggle a lot with it. And I think that, the harder is it, the more I need it. And I force myself to do this Mindfulness meditation. Sometimes I fail to do it properly. Then I come back to Do Nothing meditation and feel guilt for not chosing what is more difficult, and, therefore, more needed for me.

[Pallero]

My main struggle is finding a position that I can hold for 30 minutes. It seems that no matter how comfortable I make myself something will inevitably start to ache like crazy or a leg will fall asleep. So far I have solved this problem by changing the position, for example doing the last 10 minutes in the child's pose. But I feel like I should be able to sit in one position for the whole session.

[JustinS]

@Pallero Haha all positions are going to have some aches here and there but by sticking to one position overtime your body will learn to override the pain and it will subside and no longer exist within that time frame, or at least they will come when sitting longer than usual. You just have to stick to one and do it over and over again til your body automatically adjusts to it. Trust me, the pain will go away after continuous practice. 

Sitting on a chair is a good one for the least pain. Or try putting cushions under each knee when sitting cross legged, this will greatly reduce the pressure created of one leg on top of another. 

My first vipassana course I had to use a foldable back rest for the full 10 days and my second course required no backrest and only one sandbag to sit on. Pain and pleasure are sensations that are impermanent, they come and go. Sit through them and remain equanimous, unless of course you feel something is going to shred... haha  There is much insights in pain.

 

[JustinS]

On 7/26/2016 at 0:00 AM, Naviy said:

My main struggle is that I cannot be satisfied with the technique I use. For example, I enjoy Do Nothing, and I want to do it. But I also read somewhere, that Mindfulness meditation is necessary too. And I start doing Mindfulness meditation, which is hard for me, and I struggle a lot with it. And I think that, the harder is it, the more I need it. And I force myself to do this Mindfulness meditation. Sometimes I fail to do it properly. Then I come back to Do Nothing meditation and feel guilt for not chosing what is more difficult, and, therefore, more needed for me.

I'd say follow an easy technique or few set of rules for someone just getting into meditation. Keep it simple like being aware of the sensation one's nose or breathing and every time your mind wanders bring it back. It is more important to build a habit of meditation. 

For me it helped that I get this really awesome fuzzy feeling of relaxation around my scalp when I sat which every time brought actual tears of relaxations down my cheeks (came around 10 min mark). It was like a treat for me, and I never finished a sat unless I get one of these. Now, since practicing over years, I can produce these wonderful sensations anytime and anywhere I want by simply closing my eyes and inhaling mindfully. 

 

Meditate daily for 3 months straight! and make sure you taste the pudding. Meaning, feeling the actual benefits of deep relaxations, fulfillment, and stillness. This kept me even more motivated because it was no longer faith, but actual experienced benefits.