AYGMyJune2015

38

may/june 2015

yogajournal.com.au

No more excuses

Top meditation experts debunk the

main reasons we give ourselves for

not meditating. Read their inspiring

advice and get over obstacles

(including yourself)...

Wisdom: even short stints of meditation can

be transformative. Just five minutes

a day can yield noticeable results, including

stress reduction and increased focus, says

meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg. Her

advice: start by carving out time each day.

Sit comfortably in a quiet space, on the floor,

on cushions or on a chair, with your spine

erect but not strained or overarched. If

necessary, lie down – you don’t have to sit.

Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths,

feeling the air as it enters your nostrils, fills

your chest and abdomen and releases. Then

let your attention rest on your natural rhythm

of breathing. If your mind wanders, don’t be

concerned. Notice whatever has captured your

attention, then let go of those thoughts or

feelings and return your awareness to your

breath. If you practise like this for a dedicated

period each day, you’ll eventually be able

to call on mindfulness in any situation.

Wisdom: let go of preconceived notions and

expectations. Expectations lead to emotions

that act as blocks and distractions – so try

not to have any, says Dr Zeidan: “Don’t

expect to experience bliss. Don’t even expect

to feel better. Just say, ‘I’m going to dedicate

the next 5 to 20 minutes to meditation’.”

During meditation, as feelings arise, let go

of them because they’re distractors from the

present moment, Dr Zeidan says. “You’re

becoming attached to that emotional feeling

whether it’s positive or negative. The idea is

to stay neutral, objective.” Simply return to

your breath and realise that awareness of

your busy mind is part of the practice.

Wisdom: meditation can free you from the very

thoughts you’re trying to avoid. Jack Kornfield, an

author and teacher, writes in The Wise Heart: A Guide

to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology: “Unhealthy thoughts

can chain us to the past. We can, however, change our destructive thoughts

in the present. Through mindfulness training we can recognise them as

bad habits learned long ago. Then we can take the critical next step. We

can discover how these obsessive thoughts cover our grief, insecurity and

loneliness. As we gradually learn to tolerate these underlying energies, we

can reduce their pull. Fear can be transformed into presence and excitement.

Confusion can open up into interest. Uncertainty can become a gateway

to surprise. And unworthiness can lead us to dignity.”

Wisdom: there is no “right” way. Dr Kabat-Zinn

wisely wrote in his book Wherever You Go There

You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life:

“There is really and truly no one ‘right way’ to practise. It is best to encounter

each moment with freshness. We look deeply into it, and then we let go into

the next moment, not holding to the last one. There is much to be seen and

understood along this path; but it can’t be forced. It is best to hold to and

honour one’s own direct experience, and not worry too much about whether

this is what you are supposed to feel or see or think about. If you practise this

kind of trust in the face of insecurity and the strong habit of wanting some

authority to anoint your experience with his/her blessing, you will find that

something of a deepening nature does happen along the path.“

Wisdom: make meditation a part of your routine, like

showering or brushing your teeth. Once you carve out

time for meditation (see “I don’t have time ... ” above),

you still have to get past mistaken assumptions and unrealistic expectations about

the practice, self-judgment, and – as with exercise – a tendency to quit. To hone

discipline, Dr Goyal says he works to put meditation on par with bathing or eating:

“We are all pressed for time. Make meditation a high priority so it gets done daily.”

Still, life situations sometimes get in the way. When lapses of a week or more occur,

make the effort to continue with it regularly afterwards, he says. The first few days,

it may (or may not) be more difficult to meditate. Just as you don’t expect to run 10

kilometres after a long hiatus in your jogging routine, don’t come to meditation

with expectations, says Dr Goyal.

I’m afraid

to be alone

with my

thoughts

I’m not

doing it

“right”

My mind

is too

scattered ... ... I won’t

get anything

out of it

I don’t have time and I

don’t know how

I don’t have

enough

discipline to

stick with it

yj43_36-41_FEA meditate_272.indd 38 31/03/2015 12:07 pm