Meditation required you to empty your mind: CAP
Meditation can be practiced in a number of ways, but one thing that is consistent is that it does not require you to have an empty mind, it simply encourages you to find a focused mind. Focusing on your body, your breath, a mantra, an intention, the present moment. You do not need to push every thought away, you simply need to work to acknowledge thoughts and work to focus your mind.
Meditation must be practiced in silence: CAP
Sitting alone in a dark room might be your thing, or it might not be. The truth is, that’s not how you NEED to practice meditation. One of the easiest ways to get into meditation is to practice a guided meditation, either alone with an app or video to follow along with, or in a group setting. A lot of yoga studios will have guided meditations from time to time. This is a great way to test it out, having someone walk you through what to do. You could also practice outside of wherever you feel fit!
Meditation is challenging: FACT.
Yes, meditation is difficult, but its possible for anyone. As someone who has dealt with chronic ADHD, anxiety, and array of mental health issues, sitting alone with my thoughts is HARD. I’m not going to sugar coat it. But damn, is it worth it. It get easier each time. So don’t be discouraged if your mind consistently wanders, if you can’t sit still, if you can’t focus. It’s HARD. Especially in the world we live in today, one that tries to grab out attention every millisecond of every day. It’s a practice of unlearning our consistent distractions. But that doesn’t mean it’s not do-able.
Meditation requires practice: FACT
As stated above, meditation is a practice. Most people are not going to be good at it the first time around. Unlearning and retraining your brain is like any habit for practice, it takes time. It takes time to be able to acknowledge your thoughts without having a physical reaction to them, thoughts like stress that increase your blood pressure and change your hormones. But with practice, becomes first nature.
Meditation required you to be still: CAP
Again, there are SO many different ways to practice meditation. If you have a hard time sitting still, maybe a walking meditation is best for you to start with. With this, simply work to focus your mind on the present moment. You can follow along with a guided mediation on an app, or work to notice each thing around you and fully engulf yourself in the present moment. Once you get the ropes, you can work towards a still meditation. As someone with ADHD, I found a still meditation to be very beneficial to help my symptoms. If I can overcome curtain urges, I can work to retrain my brain. No, it is not a cure, but it is a tool!
Meditation helps with mental health: FACT
Meditation has long been utilized as a tool for mental health. It proves a sense of calm, peace, balance, and centeredness. It can allow you to become fully in tune with yourself and set intentions to better yourself and your well-being. It can also work to unlearn toxic behaviors of our society today, such as priorities and attention span. Sitting with yourself allows you to look inwards and fight stress, anxiety, self-image, and other ailments that can be brought upon us.
If you have been thinking about trying out a meditation, this is your sign to DO IT! Follow along with one of your YouTube videos, find anyone that you feel fits with you, or give it a try on your own!
Happy meditating.