The Obstacles to Meditation and Their Antidotes The key to getting better at meditation is.
.
.
Practicing.
The number one obstacle to meditation is not exploring it through direct experience.
The second is over effort or over striving.
And the third is inconsistency.
The fourth is not establishing a sustainable practice.
It's nice to have lofty notions of achieving enlightenment,
Engaging a two-hour morning practice five days a week,
Complete with an exercise regimen,
Detox,
Parasite cleanse,
Diet shift,
Et cetera.
Typically,
Certain types of people are more likely to experience this particular obstacle,
But for all of us,
Enacting a sustainable practice plan will ensure consistency,
Longevity,
And integration.
Meaning,
What we practice actually sticks,
Instead of becoming another overwhelming part of the endless stream of information that we don't utilize.
No one can supplement you with the willingness it will require to practice.
But over time,
You will truly come to see what a blessing these spaces in time are,
But only if you take them.
These pauses from the external world are a profound opportunity to touch back to home base and deeply reconnect with ourselves.
But until you are willing to show up.
Nothing will flower,
And it needs to be said that practically.
There is no skipping this step.
No amount of YouTube videos will make up for showing up deeply in your own awareness.
About time.
You don't need a whole hour.
Studies show that even 10 minutes of meditation will have a measurable positive impact on your life.
So to begin,
Choose one day a week.
Where you can practice for 10 minutes.
And expand sustainably from there.
Overloading your schedule and mind with unrealistic expectations will ensure that you give up.
If we haven't been running at all,
We are very unlikely to have the capacity to run a marathon.
So don't.
Just get started and allow meditation to find a consistent space in your life.
Consistency over perfection.
This is exactly how we cultivate consciousness and intentionality.
We make the choice.
We make a clear choice.
Allow yourself the grace and non-judgment to have the experience of the practice,
If only for 5 or 10 minutes.
Stop as I say.
Arguing for your limitations.
Just show up.
Set a timer.
Even when it feels clunky.
Integrate the experience,
As in,
Reflect on it without strain.
Without punishing or judging yourself.
And keep going.
We are not striving for perfection.
And the idea of perfection.
Is a form of over-striving and probably some form of self-sabotage.
It ensures we're going to give up.
Make the decision again and again.
A seemingly small choice to invest in your own development and centeredness.
With curiosity.
And see what happens from there.
And this part might sound silly but Don't forget to celebrate the process.
Just the act of showing up is a win.
You made a different choice today.
