Learning How to Meditate: 3 Reasons Why Beginning Meditators Have So Much Difficulty

In recent years, there has been a tremendous upsurge in the number of people learning how to meditate. The main reason is that scientists are confirming the benefits that practitioners have been touting for years, and much more. But for the beginner, it is often difficult figuring out where to start. In this article, we'll examine the reasons for the confusion, and give you a good starting point, so you too can realize true happiness and inner peace.

Have you ever wondered if you're meditating properly? Most of us have. Which of the following statements best describes your experience with meditation?
"I have trouble sitting still. My mind is racing too fast to sit quietly.""I meditate, but not much seems to happen. Sometimes, I just fall asleep.""Everyone I've asked about how to meditate gives me a different answer.""I've read several books on meditation, but I'm still not sure where to start.""I've tried different ways of meditating, but my progress still seems slow."

If you answered "Yes" to any of these statements, then you're not alone. These are some of the difficulties that most of us, including myself, have experienced when learning how to meditate.

Up until the mid 1990s, relatively few people engaged in the practice. One of the main reasons Westerners have been slow to adopt meditation is because there has been so much confusion about the practice. If you ask 10 different people how to meditate, you'll probably get 10 different answers, and they may not necessarily be wrong. This makes it very difficult for a beginner.

There are 3 main reasons for all the confusion:
There are many different forms of meditation. With so many different forms, it's hard to tell which ones really work. Since they vary in their approach, so does their effectiveness.Not many people fully understand meditation. It's hard to find someone who truly understands how to meditate and can explain it clearly.Most books on meditation are confusing. They usually overwhelm you with so much information that you end up more confused than before. Many of them also use a lot of cryptic language that makes it even more confusing.

When you combine these 3 factors, it is no wonder that beginners have such a hard time learning how to meditate. What usually happens is that beginners, and many experienced practitioners, try practicing several different forms without clear goals or objectives. The result is little or no progress in their spiritual development. With this approach, they're missing out on the true benefits of meditation.

TIP: Chose a well-established form of meditation, and stick with it.

Trying a different form of meditation each week is like trying to learn how to play a different instrument every week. You're never going to learn how to play music that way. It's the same with learning how to meditate.

If you are new to meditation, I suggest you choose one specific form of meditation, and learn it well, then you'll gain a good understanding of what meditation is all about. Later, if you decide that form doesn't suit you, then you'll have a basis for evaluating other forms. This clearly makes more sense than to keep jumping around from one form to another without any direction.

Meditation is an extremely powerful tool for spiritual development. Once you understand the proper techniques, you should expect to see noticeable progress from week to week. If you've seen your progress diminish, it may be because you're trying too many different forms. If you stick with one particular form, you'll likely save yourself a great deal of time and effort.

If there is any drawback for the beginner just learning how to meditate, it's that the rising popularity of meditation is creating a shortage of teachers who fully understand the practice, and can teach it in a clear and simple manner. The good news is that there are a few such teachers out there who are developing tools to help beginners get off to a good start.

Charles Francis is the director of the Mindfulness Meditation Institute. For over 16 years, he has worked to help people find inner peace with mindfulness meditation through personal consultations, lectures, workshops, and spiritual retreats.

Learn how to meditate in just 1 hour with clear and simple instructions with the Quick Start to Mindfulness Meditation CD, and realize true happiness and inner peace. To hear a free sample of this life-changing CD, visit our website at http://www.mindfulnessmeditationinstitute.org/.

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Learning To Meditate the Simple Way

With all of the secrecy and religious dogma that often surrounds meditation, it can be very intimidating for someone just learning to meditate. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't need to be that way. When you strip away the layers of dogma, what you have is something that is literally as simple as learning to breathe.

Just Sit - Most of us cannot twist ourselves into a full lotus position without needing to call for assistance to un-twist us when we are done. Half lotus is fine or, if you cannot sit comfortably on the ground with your legs crossed, then kneel. If you are unable to kneel then sit in a straight-backed chair. If you're unable to sit in a chair then, as a last resort lay down.

Learning to meditate does not require a specific posture though sitting is better than lying down so that you are less likely to fall asleep.

Just Breathe - Nearly all of us go about our day without giving regard to our breath. We assume, since we are still living and moving around, we must be breathing properly. But we breathe too shallow, most of the time. For the person learning to meditate, a simple technique can be to sit in a chair and imagine breathing from the top of your head through your feet on the inhale. This visualization helps to elongated the lungs so that you are using more of them to breathe.

Pick a Mantra - Sometimes concentrating on a word or short phrase, called a mantra, can be the simplest and most relaxing when you're learning to meditate. Mantras are typically spoken silently in your head, over and over at whatever pace feels natural to you.

The most common mantra people use when learning to meditate is "Om," or, alternatively "Aum."

Another helpful mantra to use is what is called the peace mantra, "Om Shanti."

Keep in mind, when learning to meditate, you only need to use one mantra during a meditation session.

And as far as how long to meditate for, choose what is right for you at the beginning. A few minutes meditating is better than none at all, but ideally, you should try to work your way up to twenty-one minutes a day.

Learning to meditate doesn't have to be overwhelming or confusing, you just need to take the initiative and simply observe whatever experience occurs. With these simple tips in mind, you have everything you need to begin your meditation practice.

If you're interested in learning the secrets to creating a Simple Life, living more authentically visit my website where I share my experience with the best techniques and products that I personally use for the best results.

Visit my website at: http://www.charlieforness.com/

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