Popular Misconceptions About Meditation

When there is widespread misunderstanding about a behavior, there might be serious consequences.
 
This is due to the fact that many individuals believe and act on anything they are told without first verifying whether what they are told is real.
 
There are several common misunderstandings about meditation.
 
These give the impression that there are more ways to fail at meditation than there are to succeed at it.
 
Are you considering meditation in order to clear your mind and create a feeling of serenity?
You must first let go of everything they may have heard about the practice.
 
In this article, we will refute some of the most widely held half-truths about the practice.

1. There are Several Types of Meditation

A common myth is that there is just one style of meditation.

The one where you sit with both knees tucked in and both hands spread out while humming.

Typical Meditation pose

This is not true.

The practice of meditation is not limited to a single type.

There is:

  • transcendental meditation
  • movement meditation
  • mindfulness meditation
  • yoga meditation,
  • and a variety of other different types of meditation available.

Researchers have discovered that diverse meditation routines have distinct effects on different bodily systems, according to the findings [1].

Thus, the multiple meditation versions each offer their own set of advantages.

You may experiment with several approaches to discover the one that works best for you and your particular situation.

2. Meditation is a Strange Practice

It is common for people to believe that meditation is a mystery activity that would transport them into “the zone.”
 
Or a state of mind where they will experience complete peace and quiet, but this is not the case.
Yoga and meditation
 
Meditation is all about being mindful of your surroundings.
 
While maintaining concentration on a single idea.
 
According to study on how to increase mediation [2], there are fewer areas of meditation that have been thoroughly investigated.
 
The unstudied realms are considered mysterious by most people.
 
Although there may be nothing strange about them since meditation is just a method of attaining psychological and spiritual growth by practicing it.

3. When Meditating, the Mind Should be Absolutely Free of Thoughts

If you’re just getting started with meditation, it’s quite OK to have some reservations about the technique.

But your mind doesn’t have to be absolutely blank.

Because it’s difficult to maintain a fully blank mental state, meditation is a kind of training that teaches you how to return your attention back to the present moment.

Peace of mind

As a result, it is perfectly OK to have ideas that come and go.

While meditating, Benson of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School advises that it is natural and expected for your thoughts to wander throughout the practice of mindfulness.

And, if this happens to you, just return your attention to repetition [3].

4. Meditate for Many Hours in Order to Observe Effects

Meditation does not have to be done for long periods of time in order to be effective.

Following your meditation, you may go about your business or do anything else for 10, 15 minutes.

hourglass

When you nurture this technique, you will eventually be able to remain for a longer period of time.

In his book, Benson suggests that meditating once or twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes is acceptable.

5. Only Meditate in a Quiet Place

You are not need to meditate alone or in a peaceful spot.
 
Instead, you may meditate in a group or with a partner, and then share your experiences with them.
 
You will be able to pass on the advantages of meditation to others as well as to the rest of your life, job, and relationships in this manner.
relax
 
There is evidence to suggest that not everyone is capable of being alone or practicing meditation alone [4].
 
And that doing so may never provide them the calm they desire; instead, it may cause them to feel cruelly lonely.
 
As a result, practicing with others might help to reduce this feeling of loneliness.
 
When contemplating solitude, consider the idea of being mindful of where you are and being focused on the current moment.
 
Rather than contemplating isolation as meditating someplace alone.
 
Meditation has the ability to improve both our physiological and psychological health and well-being.
 
As well as our overall well-being.
 
Before you trust anything you learn on the internet, do thorough study.
 
And determine what is the most effective strategy for you (under proper guidance).

 

References:

  1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280312741_Meditation_Research_A_Comprehensive_Review
  2. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0205740
  3. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2008/10/relaxation
  4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342272177_Aware_I_Am_Alone_Intersections_of_Solitude_and_Mindfulness