The Only Way to Be “Bad” at Meditation
I will tell you right off the bat. The only way to be “bad” at meditation is by not meditating at all. So many people turn away from meditation or don’t even try because they think they will be bad at it. They think things like, “I can’t hold still,” “I can’t just stop thinking like that,” “I’m not a calm type of person,” “I’m not Buddhist” (or whatever religion people associate meditating with). Is this you? If it is, I’m not judging you. I used to have those kinds of thoughts and beliefs long before I started a regular meditation practice. This is because our brain likes what is familiar. When you introduce a new routine to the brain, especially something that will change the neural pathways of the brain itself, you’re definitely going to experience some push-back.
Facing the Intimidation of Starting
I remember starting my yoga teacher training in 2020, and a passage in the manual said something like, “Power is held in our daily habits and routines. Pick a practice to do every single day whether it is breathwork, exercise, or meditation.” I remember just staring at this sentence and thinking, “I want it to be meditation. It seems like the easiest choice but… why does it feel like it’s not? Why is it so intimidating?” What was the blockage? That’s something we gotta dig a little deeper to find out because it depends on your own personal beliefs, and a lot of times, it’s a bunch of beliefs that are standing in the way.
My Personal Blocks with Meditation
For me, it was a myriad of things — things that are usually hard to swallow. Like being scared to truly face myself. Being scared of what I would find. Thinking that it HAD to be a certain way in order for it to be done right. Like I would have to start a 1-hour meditation at 6 am every single day and not move a muscle in order for me to be doing it right. Four years of daily meditation later, I still move my leg during meditation when it falls asleep and I don’t care. I have still soaked up all the benefits that consistent meditation brings anyway.
How I Started and Overcame Beliefs
How did I do that? I just started somewhere. I started with meditation for small amounts of time, then longer amounts of time, then shorter a duration again. I learned how to listen to myself through meditation — everything going on within me. By doing so, these beliefs that were blocking me from what I wanted to do and what I wanted from life became revealed. From holding a space of awareness for these thoughts and beliefs, they became less heavy and more accepted. Did that mean they automatically went away? Well, not completely. Any habit patterns we have are just that — patterns. The same things will come back again; it is how we respond to them when they come back that actually changes them.
Practice Makes Existence
So next time you set a goal, any goal (it doesn’t have to be just starting a meditation practice) remember this: practice makes existence. Your new health regimen doesn’t exist until you start doing it. You being a guitar player doesn’t exist until you pick up the guitar and start putting blisters on your fingertips. Meditation won’t start to heal your life until you start meditating. The first time doing anything will never be perfect, obviously. Don’t let that subtle inner voice convince you that something isn’t worth trying. I cannot imagine where I would be or what I would be doing if I hadn’t started meditating and kept it going for years and years to come.
Nobody Is Bad at Meditating
Nobody is bad at meditating, just like nobody is bad at eating. That is simply a belief that holds us back from healing.
What Are You Glad You Did?
So tell us in the comments! Is there anything you are glad you did that held you back for a while?