Frankly, meditation for beginners could be intriguing or dreary. To find some calm from the race around us, we resort to different kinds of meditation for mindfulness and tranquility. However, it is not that easy to meditate when everything is so fast-paced. Let’s look at some of the many challenges of meditation and what can be done to overcome them.
Challenges of Meditation for Beginners
Distractions
One of the crucial challenges of meditation for beginners is to keep distractions away from the mind. It could be external distractions (like noise from vehicles, people talking, construction work, etc.) or internal distractions (like thoughts, self-talk, stress, anxiety, etc.).
Choose the right corner as you begin your meditation: a place with minimum external noise. However, if it still gets tough to meditate, listen to the source of distraction. Continue with the process even with the distractions. As you become more attentive to your surroundings, you will slowly venture into mindfulness.
“Your mind is responsible for your freedom and bondage.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Finding Purpose
Most of the time, we do not know why we want to meditate. We hear someone saying the need to do it for inner peace, but we do not feel connected to the purpose.
Understand how meditation can affect you. What is it that you are seeking with meditation? Is it inner peace, tranquillity, adherence, patience or just to disconnect from mundane life? That way, you would not feel bored with the process and even if you do, you could at least bring an active outlook to learning the art of meditation.
Staying Focused
The benefits of meditation are hard to acknowledge when you don’t feel settled with the process. People often start with the process but give up in a week/month/even a couple of days. Either you feel detached or sleepy or just bored to simply continue with the meditation practice.
Form a group with friends or join a meditation group to help you stay focused. Try different forms of meditation and exercises that boost your energy level.
Anticipations
One of the challenges of meditation is anticipating or expecting results in a few days. It does not work like that. Meditation is a process that brings calm and helps you prepare for uncomfortable events/situations, without getting adversely affected.
Stop anticipating results. If you are constantly being pulled out of the process with distracting thoughts, take a step back and observe your thoughts. Do not judge yourself; rather accept and be with the emotion that’s bothering you. Meditation begins when you understand what’s happening within you in the present moment.
“Meditation is the journey from sound to silence, from movement to stillness, from a limited identity to unlimited space.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Emotional Turmoil
The meaning of meditation isn’t limited to a single definition. When someone starts with the process, they get affected by the emotional turmoil that arises from the overwhelming emotions or situations in the past. Many people also complain of zoning out or falling asleep during the process and experiencing exhaustion, trying too hard to meditate.
Count your breath or try mantra meditation that brings back your focus from any of the above distractions. Visualize yourself in a deserted space, such as the top of a hill, or floating on a pool, or nearby a shore where Nature mesmerizes you in its beauty. Let go of the thoughts that hold you back, straighten your spine, and be aware of the present.
“Mind can be our greatest enemy or our best friend.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Discomfort
Meditation for beginners is challenging for another important reason. Posture! Our lavish lifestyles sometimes make us ignore discipline. Many beginners feel discomfort after sitting for just a few minutes for meditation. They either keep stirring after a few minutes or catch up with their virtual life.
Try sitting in an easy pose (sukhasana) on the mat or sit comfortably. Or, try out other meditation poses which are comfortable to you. Ensure your spine is straight and not slouched. If it gets difficult to be in the pose while meditating, give yourself back support and you can even practice on a chair. Meditation, apart from comforting, will soon become a comfortable experience for you.
A Serene Encounter with Reality
Meditation is not evasion but a serene encounter with reality.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Once you acknowledge the benefits of meditation, you will badly want to pursue it irrespective of the challenges. You can also try additional ways to overcome the meditation challenges by listening to good music, sharing your feelings, taking a walk, doing light exercises, or breathing slowly. Meditation not only relieves you from stress and anxiety but also helps improve blood circulation.
FAQ on Challenges of Meditation
Lack of will to continue the meditation process is the biggest challenge for beginners.
Meditation is an age-old tested technique that brings our awareness to the present, relaxes us, imparts inner peace, and keeps a check on our body parameters that suffer from excessive stress.
Any time that works for you is a good time to meditate. Meditation is a very self-evolving process, and its effect varies from person to person. So, as long as you practice meditation daily (even for a few minutes) and are feeling in control of your thoughts and emotions, that is enough.
