How to Overcome Common Barriers to Meditating and Take your Power Back
I can’t wait to share with you one thing that has been a game changer in my life in every area. I don’t pretend to have it all together. I am always processing, learning and deciding as I go. Sometimes life feels confusing, overwhelming, discouraging or frustrating af.
Here is what I know for sure:
When you don’t allow yourself to process it, feel and embrace it, you may find yourself feeling so stressed about being stressed or sad that you feel sad. You resist the experience you are having until it feels so intense that you can’t stand it.
Anyone relate?
When we judge ourselves, avoid our feelings or even critically look at every aspect we are going through, we don’t allow ourselves to move the experience with grace and ease, taking it with only one step at a time.
It’s normal to accidentally choose anxiety, panic, overwhelm or confusion because I know I have more than one time or another.
With that said, let’s get into this …..
“Building a Meditation Practice in 5 Easy Steps”
Meditation is an ancient, powerful tool for going beyond the mind’s conditioned thought patterns into the realm of pure awareness. The most heart warming thing about meditation is, When you enter the silent space between the thoughts, you awaken to the field of all possibilities.
Regular meditation is an effective strategy to prevent and treat a wide range of physical and mental health problems, including high blood pressure, chronic headaches and depression. Many people encounter difficulties when trying to build a regular meditation practice, but it’s well worth persevering and looking for ways to overcome barriers. The benefits of meditating are wide and varied, and building a regular practice can have a significant impact on all areas of your life. I have include 5 practical steps below to help start your very own meditation journey.
- Time: Lack of time is often cited as the main reason why people don’t meditate regularly, but meditation doesn’t have to take a long time. Repetition is the key, regardless of the length of your sessions. Meditating for as little as five minutes a day can be enough to make a difference to your health, and will also help to improve your mood, increase concentration levels and boost your memory. Choosing the same time and place for your daily practice will help to increase its effectiveness.
- Thoughts: This one was a big one for me to overcome and with persistence, I was able to conquer the mind chatter. Racing thoughts, persistent worrying and mental chatter are normal, but they can make it difficult to meditate and often lead to frustration. The aim of meditating is not to stop thinking, but to create distance between yourself and your thoughts. Practice noticing, observing and labeling your thoughts, rather than trying to get rid of them.
- Restlessness or Tiredness: It can be difficult to sit or lie down and do nothing for an extended period of time, especially when there are many other things you feel you should be doing. Meanwhile, some people have the opposite problem, and will often fall asleep when they try to meditate. If you find it difficult to sit still or you regularly fall asleep during your practice, one solution may be to try mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness can be practiced while walking or performing routine tasks, such as washing the dishes, sweeping the floor or brushing your teeth.
- Concentration: Mindfulness, body scans and meditations that involve focusing on thebreath can be difficult for many people, as they require a great deal of concentration. Choosing guided meditations that use visualization, sounds and other stimuli can help you to focus more easily, particularly if you’re new to meditation. Experiment with some of the many free guided meditations available through YouTube and other video sharing platforms, as this will enable you to find the right tools to suit your needs.
- Technique: Some individuals worry that they’re not meditating, breathing or sitting properly throughout their sessions. Taking a course or workshop either online or in your local area can be useful for learning a variety of techniques and will help you to get the most out of your meditations. You will also be able to share your experience and learn from other people with similar interests.
I have learned over the years that building a regular meditation practice brings a whole host of benefits for the body and mind. For example, Lack of time, mental chatter, restlessness, tiredness, poor concentration and lack of experience can all make it difficult to meditate, but there are ways to overcome these barriers and build a regular practice. Just start with 3 minutes a day if that is all the times you have and you will be amazed at the shifts you will experience.
Xo,
Website: www.annadelarosa.com
Instagram: @theannadelarosa
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