Chapter 5 - 6 Common Obstacles to Meditation

"All of man's difficulties are caused by his inability to sit, quietly, in a room by himself."

Blaise Pascal

Despite the incredible benefits of meditation, many people still fail to develop a regular meditation practice. To make sure you do not become one of them, here are 6 common obstacles to meditation and how to overcome them:

Obstacle #1: Outcome Orientation

Meditation is a process where you must detach yourself from any kind of result. Your meditation should never be judged or evaluated in any way – judgment only creates more stress and more mental chatter. Be process oriented and profound benefits will inevitably come.

Obstacle #2: Perfectionism

Realize that there is no such thing as a perfect meditation. You will always have intrusive thoughts while you meditate. Some days your mind will be quieter than others. That's totally normal. Do your best to meditate correctly, but don’t become obsessed with applying meditation techniques perfectly.

Obstacle #3: Impatience

Understand that meditation is a life-long practice. Don’t expect to become enlightened after two weeks of meditation. Just like everything worth pursuing in life, it can take a bit of time to experience the full range of benefits meditation has to offer.

Obstacle #4: Boredom

Meditation may seem like the ultimate boring activity, especially in a society where instant stimulus is available 24/7. At first, it can be difficult to sit down for ten or twenty minutes and "do nothing". You may become restless, irritated, and even agitated. Don’t worry, it will become easier with practice and soon enough you will be able to draw your state from within instead of relying on external stimulus to feel good .

Obstacle #5: Falling asleep

It is easy to fall asleep during meditation, especially if you are tired and if you have your eyes closed. If this is a problem for you, try meditating in the morning and keep your eyes open throughout your session.

Obstacle #6: Discouragement

Anything worth doing takes practice and dedication. Meditation is no different. The key to developing a lifelong meditation practice is to realize the profound benefits meditation has to offer and use that as fuel to keep going when the going gets tough.