5 Common Mistakes Made in Meditation

I have taught meditation for over 20 years.  This article reviews 5 common mistakes made in meditation that when corrected can give more results to your life.

The word meditation means different things to different people. That said, I would say most commonly it is a period of time that a person sets aside each day to de-stress or bring more peace into their life. Different meditation techniques use different methods to accomplish this goal. To get the most out of your time of practice, here are some things to consider.

1. Are you trying to create a mood?

   Often, we may believe that when we meditate, we should feel a certain feeling. I know I did when I first began to meditate. I would stay seated each morning until I got to that “mood” that I interpreted to be “peace.” By mid-morning at work, I could feel myself losing it and this was a major source of stress in my life. Evaluating our meditation by the mood or feeling we get from it gives a false sense of security. Feelings come and feelings go. An appropriate mediation tool will take us deeper than the feeling so that no matter what we feel at the emotional level, there is something deeper that is solid within us that will be there when “the going gets tough.”

2. Are you attempting to hold back all your thoughts and blank out your mind?

   Thoughts are a natural part of life. Attempting to “not think” actually raises the physiological rate and creates additional stress on your nervous system. A good meditation tool will take you beyond the thinking mind.

3. Are you using music or aromatherapy for your meditation?

   While this can give some amount of pleasure and bring a good feeling, one of the most beneficial things that an appropriate tool can give is a rest to your senses. We run our nervous system and our senses at an exceedingly high rate in our society, which is like running a motor 24/7. By bringing the mind inward and allowing your five “outer” senses to rest, your “inner” senses begin to develop and strengthen.

4. Do you skip your meditation times?

   We may feel that I’m too ______ (fill in the blank with distracted, busy, tired, etc.). However, these are all good times to meditate. Having a regular time to meditate is a good idea. Using your tool during the highs and lows and in-betweens will assist you in finding what is consistent and True within all of these experiences. If you are frequently “skipping” your meditation time, maybe it is time to consider learning a new meditation.  (Just a suggestion here, The Art of Ascension is not only pleasing to the mind, but is also simple to do).

5. Do you have support in your practice?

   It is wise to learn a practice from a teacher who is trained and qualified to teach meditation. Then, every so often, meet with the teacher to review. If you try to learn from a book or from some untrained person it can be frustrating. And then, how do you know if you are getting the most out of your practice?

Having taught meditation for over 20 years, the most common meditation error made by the newbie is applying too much effort…. usually one of the above, or a modification of it. Getting feedback from the teacher, one will begin to allow more easily rather than effort in their practice.   If the purpose of meditation is to take you to the Truth of Who You Are, shouldn’t it be simple? And it should not require effort.

If you are seeking a teacher to learn a simple practice, please check out my course schedule, or contact me to learn The Art of Ascension. If you are looking for a new practice, I would love to assist you in finding a course.  Ishayas’ Ascension is extremely simple and effective and can be done anywhere, anytime, by anyone.