Undoubtedly, today there is so much information about mindfulness and meditation. There are hundreds of books sitting on the shelves of liberties and book stores, we hear about it on the news, and read about it in newspapers. Yet, a lot of the information that’s out there is either incomplete or bluntly incorrect. And that’s the reason there is still so much resistance among people when it comes to meditation.

So let’s debunk some of that misinformation right now.

This particular point kept me away from meditating for a very long time. I’ve read books on the topic and listened to talks about it. But frankly I think that some experts make it sound way more complicated than it actually is.

Meditation is simply sitting quietly and focusing on your breath, bodily sensations or an object, such as the flame of a candle or your breath. Simple as that! Everyone can do it!

Meditation is often portrayed as someone sitting in a lotus position. That comes from the deep cultural root of meditation s. Ancient practitioners have meditated primarily in a lotus position as if done correctly, it has certain health benefits, such as stability, enhanced breathing etc.

However, individuals who are just starting out with meditation should not be concerned with mastering the lotus position. Meditation can easily be done in various positions – sitting in a chair, lying down, or even walking. So just pick the one that suits you best and meditate away.

This cannot be any further from the truth really. No one can ever clear their mind completely. Perhaps, very experienced meditation experts can keep their focus from thoughts for longer, but they too have to deal with buzzing mind at times.

The purpose of meditation is not to clear your mind, but to develop the awareness of your thoughts and the skill to divert your attention to a desired object, such as your breath.

Meditation is not a religious practice. In modern days meditation is practiced by all kinds of people – be they religious or not. 

Moreover, scientists today have confirmed the myriad benefits of practicing meditation for mental wellbeing and human health over all.

Today mindfulness based programs, such as MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) and MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) are widely used for the reduction of stress and anxiety, as well as for enhancing emotional regulation.

Well, not necessarily. Whilst some people meditate for longer periods of time, such as 30 mins or an hour, you can choose to meditate for much shorter duration. In fact, 2-5 mins is perfectly acceptable, it’s not a substantial enough amount of time to disrupt your normal routine, yet it delivers all the same benefits that a 30 min long meditation has to offer. 

It is true that some meditation practices involve chanting. But it is definitely not required. Chanting is simply another way to anchor your mind during meditation, but as I already mentioned above, you can use your breath, a word that you repeat to yourself silently, called a mantra, bodily sensations or an external object, such as the flame of a candle, a tree, a flower, or any other object of your choosing. It’s entirely up to you my dear.

I wish this was true. But unfortunately, even the most experienced meditators experience turbulence from time to time. Meditation by itself will not abolish all negative thoughts and emotions from your life, but rather it will teach you how to deal with them effectively and gracefully. 

There you go girl, if any of the above have been stopping you from embracing meditation, I hope I have managed to convince you otherwise.

“To meditate means to be aware, to be present, to be with yourself, and to embrace all that is within you.” – Thich Nhat Nanh