Why can’t you meditate?

While the benefits of meditation on mental health — especially anxiety and depression — are well established, for some people meditating can be very uncomfortable. So before giving up, you have to ask yourself the right questions and adapt your practice.

Why do we give up on meditation?

If the term “meditation” designates a mental practice which consists of paying attention to an object, a thought, emotions or the body, this exercise, of a spiritual approach, actually brings together different practices. It is very often this vagueness that prevents the amateur meditator from knowing exactly what he should or should not do.

For some, this moment corresponds more to the expression of ruminations on the past, the future or bodily discomfort rather than a real experience of relaxation. For others, the search for a “perfect” meditation or the guilt of not indulging in it regularly enough discourages and prevents them from continuing.

Focus on benefits rather than technique

If no meditation or practitioner are alike, it is because meditation remains a personal moment that everyone experiences differently. Rather than wanting to follow a method in which you do not feel comfortable, it is better to adapt this moment for yourself, whether it is the body position, the concentration on an object, the time of day, the duration or even location.

Throughout the world, there are different ways of meditating, whether guided or not, sitting or standing, in nature or in an urban environment, at home or outside… In short, the idea is not to put pressure on yourself or force yourself into anything, but make your own experience and focus on the short and long term benefits.

Allowing yourself a moment of relaxation, one or more breaks in your daily life, without any particular technique, should be used as a tool to help you relax your mind and visualize solutions to relieve your mental load and your stress.

Find out more: “The Art of Meditation”, by Matthieu Ricard, Editions du Nil.