Meditation practice isn’t a straight line. You are bound to experience issues along the way, especially if you’re only starting out.
That’s why I have listed some of the most common issues that newbies experience here:
1. Your Thoughts are Running
Thoughts that arise while you meditate are natural. It’s essential that you realize that meditation doesn’t mean you should stop having thoughts altogether. Instead, it’s a tool to train your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts.
So, when you find yourself struggling to concentrate, go back to your breath, and count every inhales and exhales. It’s an effective method to calm down your thoughts and it occupies the mind with a simple task. The next time your thoughts wander, always go back to the breath.
2. You Space Out
Spacing out is another common issue encountered during meditation. You will be surprised that there are even some people who would fall asleep in the middle of the practice. Sure, one of the goals of meditation is to relax the mind, but it still requires you to stay alert and present to get the full benefits of the practice.
When you find yourself spacing out, add more energy into the practice. For example, if you are seated while you’re meditating, adjust your position, and gently engage your abdominal muscles. Every time you find yourself spacing out, again, get back to your breath. You can also repeat an affirmation in your mind.
3. You Find It Challenging To Visualize
Personally, one of the things I enjoy most about meditation is visualizing. However, I get it that some people really have trouble with this.
What I can recommend is to release all your expectations when visualizing and just focus. You can also use guided visualizations for a while until you can do it on your own.
Keep in mind that visualization is just another form of meditation, and there are other techniques that you can try if this one doesn’t work for you. Still, it’s worth a try!
Visualization is a healthy way to bring positive energy into your overall well-being.
4. You Feel Aches and Pains
Aches and pains may be the result of poor posture, or it could be merely due to sitting quietly that it draws your attention to tiny twinges and minor discomfort that you don’t notice before.
What you can do here is to focus on the feeling and observe the sensations you feel in your body. Don’t react to it. Just observe. You can also try some gentle stretching before you meditate. If aches and pains bother you, you might want to try a different position,
Keep in mind that like physical activities, you will experience some initial soreness until you ease into the practice.
5. You Can’t Relax
This is pretty similar to when you have your thoughts running. The difference is, it’s not just the obtrusive thoughts, but it’s your body that just won’t relax. For some, when the body is not relaxed during meditation, they become even more stressed and anxious.
What you can do is to release the stress in other ways such as exercising, going for a walk, talking to a friend, etc. Tap into your external environment when you just can’t seem to relax before you sit down to meditate.
When you experience any of these issues, remember that you will get past it.
All you need to do is try, and keep trying until it no longer bothers you.
