Hello,
And welcome back to Insight Timer.
This brief class is on 16 myths of meditation.
I think it's really important if you're a beginner to understand the what and the why behind meditation.
What it is,
What it isn't.
Just sort of get to the basics.
So today we're going to talk about 16 myths of meditation.
I'm Steve Austin,
And I'm so glad you're here.
You know,
Meditation is as complex as your mind,
And it's as simple as sitting down and breathing.
You don't have to be sure about all the details,
But I bet you've probably heard at some point along the way that meditation is good for you.
So in addition to managing stress,
Mindfulness practices have been linked to better outcomes for patients with heart disease,
Cancer,
High blood pressure,
Depression,
And many other conditions.
So there are some myths about meditation,
And I think it's really easy to see why it's sometimes misunderstood.
So I'm hoping that in the next few minutes,
I'm going to be able to help you sort out the facts so that you can discover the true benefits of meditation and how it can change your life for the better.
So here are some myths about the physical and external aspects of meditation.
Myth number one,
It's okay to discontinue medical treatment.
Here's the truth.
Talk with your doctor before you make any decisions about your health.
Medication might reduce your need for prescription drugs,
Or it may be a helpful supplement to conventional care,
But always talk to your doctor first.
Myth number two,
Only the full lotus position counts.
Here's the truth.
Find a seat that's comfortable for you.
Maybe that means half lotus on the floor.
It could mean sitting in a straight back chair.
All of the meditation purists are going to have a stroke from me saying this,
But one of my favorite places to meditate is in my truck before I go into the office.
I know,
I'm a human,
So sue me.
The third myth,
Aches and pains are good.
Here's the truth.
If you feel stiff or you get a cramp,
Change positions,
Scan your body and find those areas of tension and make adjustments.
If you do that,
You'll eliminate distractions.
You'll protect your body from injury.
You shouldn't be hurting when you're trying to meditate.
The fourth myth,
Teachers are useless.
You can absolutely learn a lot from books and videos,
But live teachers are even better because you can form this warm,
Supportive relationship with them.
And I think when you feel accountable to another person,
It might even encourage you to practice more consistently.
The fifth myth of meditation,
Expensive props make a big difference.
The truth is you can go out and find a cushion that works well for you,
Or you can use your bed pillow.
You can use an old phone book.
What matters is your mind.
So don't feel like you have to go out and spend a bunch of money to start meditating.
Myth number six,
Absolute quiet is essential.
The truth is silence is conducive to meditation,
But it can also be really difficult to find in this modern world we live in.
I meditate in my office most often,
And I bet five times out of 10,
There's a train going by a mile away and I can hear it,
But I still meditate right here.
So work on accepting background noise with a peaceful mind.
Myth number seven,
Meditation takes a lot of time.
You know,
You can actually meditate just for a few minutes a day.
I'm not a 30 minute meditator.
I don't meditate for an hour.
Most of the time I meditate for somewhere between five and 15 minutes.
So focus on your breathing when you're stuck at a red light.
Remind yourself of all that you have to be grateful for while you're waiting on a pot of coffee to brew in the morning.
Meditation can happen in moments.
The next myth,
Meditation requires little time.
So there's this great balance going on.
You don't have to meditate for a long time,
But prolonged contemplation does lead typically to deeper insights.
So you can always adjust your priorities depending on what you want to accomplish and the time that you have.
Meditation is not one size fits all.
Myth number nine,
Concentrate first.
Well the truth is if you have a mind like me,
Your thoughts are probably used to racing around.
And over time as you meditate,
You start to build those concentration muscles.
But don't feel like that if you haven't focused that you can't meditate.
It's not true.
Which leads us to our next myth.
Zoning out is the ultimate goal of meditation.
That's not always true.
Meditation can be used just to relax.
You can use your sessions to sort out personal issues.
You can use your meditation session to seek some sort of spiritual attainment,
Enlightenment,
Some lesson,
Some truth.
So zoning out is not the ultimate goal.
The next myth,
Meditation is at least some kind of religion.
Well the truth is meditation is a traditional part of many religions.
And you can use it and adapt it to your personal spiritual beliefs or it can be a completely secular activity.
The next myth is that you'll wind up isolated.
Again,
That's a myth.
Sitting by yourself,
Practicing silence,
Having a stillness practice can actually strengthen your connections with other people.
It enables you to develop more love,
More empathy,
More patience,
More compassion.
So you're a better friend,
You're a better lover,
You're a better employee.
Four more myths of meditation.
Breathing is just for beginners.
I hear people say that all the time.
Oh,
If you just are starting out,
Well just practice breathing.
Just start there for a while.
Well watching your breathing or counting your inhales,
Counting your exhales is a really common technique when you're starting out.
That's true,
But train carefully because that deep relaxed breathing is vital at every single stage of meditation.
So breathing is not just for beginners.
The next myth,
Progress feels gradual and steady.
Yeah,
It's not true.
At least not for me.
I've seen fluctuations in my meditation progress.
Some sessions go really smooth and I feel like I'm in the zone and other times I am extremely distracted and I struggle.
Remember you're a human being first.
Two more.
Meditation is easy.
What a myth.
Mindfulness can be hard work and to make breakthroughs in your thinking,
You have to address your automatic defenses.
So if you want to set out in a more positive direction,
You have to transform those habits that are already entrenched.
So meditation is not always easy.
And the last one,
Meditation is difficult.
So meditation can be simple.
It can be fun.
Just be gentle with yourself.
Remember again,
You're a human first.
So lighten up,
Enjoy the process.
Yeah,
It can be serious and deeply spiritual,
But have a little fun with it.
Meditation practices are full of contradictions and diversity and they're also immensely rewarding and they're worth all the effort that you put in.
So clear up the myths,
Boost your physical and mental wellbeing through meditation.
I'm Steve Austin.
Thanks for being here.
