The number of people practicing meditation is steadily growing. Their interest stems from success stories by people who attained fast and significant changes in their way of life. What common misconception of people who are willing to try out meditation is that when you start using it, it will reap for you the results that you want to achieve at a faster rate. This is not always the case.
There are also those hopefuls who were not able to achieve their goals in meditation. Before you start thinking twice about using it in your life, let me provide you with the common mistakes which I believe were unconsciously and unintentionally done by this group of people:
- They were not 100% committed. For any endeavor to be successful you have to give it your all. This is true with meditation. Motivation is different from commitment. Yes, you are motivated to change your life, you think that you are. But how about your commitment to it? Commitment is manifested through actions. There should be a balance in the motivation and commitment. If you think you can achieve something, you have to do something to attain it.
- Improper breathing technique. How hard can the process of breathing be? Breathing is an involuntary body mechanism. You just have to know and understand how to do it the proper way. Correct breathing in the context of meditation means allowing your lungs to expand to its optimum capacity without putting too much strain on the other parts of the body. Proper breathing also means inhalation using your abdominal muscles rather than inhaling through the mouth.
- Watch your posture. How can you achieve relaxation if you are slouching or if you’re hands are dangling on your sides? Assume an erect position when meditation, regardless of whether you are sitting, standing, lying down, or walking. The spine should be straight during meditation because it allows us to breath properly too. Notice that if you are slouching, you feel extra relaxed or tensed. Your breathing is not normal in this position because your lungs are not inflating to its maximum level.
Practice these things separately. Do not try to master them all at the same time. The secret to successful motivation is expertly performing all these elements separately.Once you are able to master these integrate them into your daily routine. You will be surprised at how easy meditation can be if done the right way!
