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Is Meditation Pointless?

The Buddhists have a famous saying, “Zazen is good for nothing” – Kodo Sawaki Roshi Zazen is the Buddhist tradition’s form of meditation. If meditation is good for nothing why do Buddhists meditate all the time? Well, that’s the joke in a sense. When you hear that saying the first time you’ll think meditation is pointless. But the more you meditate the more you’ll see what they truly were saying. Meditation is good for nothing. Perhaps by the end of this article, you’ll understand the true meaning of that. Meditation is not pointless. Though the practice can seem monotonous, boring, and pointless there are actually dozens of proven benefits. Meditation can help you make great strides in many areas of your life from developing spiritually to improving your sense of wellbeing. > see my article, “How to Transform Your Life With Meditation” Why meditation Can Seem pointless Meditation can at times seem pointless, purposeless, and boring. You may be thinking “should I be wasting 10 minutes everyday doing essentially nothing?” Despite the many benefits, meditation in the beginning can feel a bit pointless. It feels like you’re wasting your time When you sit down to meditate you’re actively doing nothing. You’re intentionally doing absolutely nothing for 10-20 minutes or more. This can really seem like a waste of time. Remember the Buddhist saying! “meditation is good for nothing”. Why should you waste your time on doing absolutely nothing? ‘Nothing’ is actually incredibly beneficial. In meditation you’re fostering that nothingness. It’s in the practice of doing nothing that the benefits arise. Though it may feel like a waste of time, sitting down to meditate is fostering slow growing benefits that accumulate with practice. You’re not seeing any benefits yet If you’re in the beginning of building your meditation habit you may feel like meditation is pointless simply because you haven’t tasted the sweet benefits that meditation has to offer. Like all good things, this will take time too. Though there are some immediate benefits to meditation, a lot of the truly life changing benefits come weeks, months, and years into a meditation practice. This doesn’t mean that meditation is pointless though. Even if you only want short term benefits, meditation can still help you. But the super profound mental shifts you might have been promised will take time. Meditation can be hard and frankly boring Establishing a meditation practice is hard. Getting yourself to sit for 10 or more minutes a day for meditation truly isn’t an easy thing. Especially at the beginning. Meditation is hard because it’s boring. We as human beings like to be doing things, building, and learning. Meditation seems like the complete opposite of an enjoyable task. You may have other more pressing things in your life that would be far more interesting to attend to. To get past this meditation struggle you need to shift your perspective. View meditation as a building, doing, and learning activity. Although yes, you are slowing down and doing nothing, you are actively slowing down and doing nothing. It’s important to see that you’re meditating for the purpose of building a better mind, learning more about yourself, and nurturing your spirit. > see my article “Struggling to Meditate? 7 Common Issues And Their Solutions” The benefits of meditation The truth is that meditation truly isn’t pointless. There are so many benefits for your mind, body, and spirit that come alongside a meditation practice. Here are some of the benefits you could see if you stick with your meditation practice. Benefits for the mind Benefits for the body Benefits for the spirit Meditation is good for nothing… So yes, meditation is good for nothing… well actively doing nothing. And doing nothing (meditating) has so many benefits for your life in the short term and long term. Yes, meditation may seem pointless at the beginning. Especially when building the habit of meditation can be boring and difficult. But you’ll find out for yourself if you keep at it for just 10 minutes a day. You’ll come to find the meditation is NOT pointless.

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Struggling To Meditate? 7 Common Issues And Their Solutions

Meditation is great right? Until you end up cross-legged on the floor stressing yourself out over not being able to focus. This can often leave you feeling frustrated, restless, or even doubtful during your meditation practice. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Meditation can be a challenging practice, especially when you’re just starting out. There are a few common reasons why people struggle with meditation, and luckily, we have the solutions to help you overcome them. Today, we’re going to explore seven of the most common reasons why people struggle to meditate and give you some practical solutions to help deepen your practice and find more peace. 7 Common Meditation Struggles 1. “Am I doing it right?” You may be thinking that there is a right or wrong way to meditate. And if there is a right way to meditate, then you definitely don’t want to do it wrong! Thankfully, there is no right way to meditate. You may want to focus or clear your mind, but the truth is that meditative practice can be whatever you want it to be. In fact, there is even a meditation technique called the “do nothing technique” where you sit and let your mind wander to whatever it wants to think about. Try to leave all expectations of your meditation session at the door before you begin. Your expectations of what “ought” to be done in a meditation session may make you self-conscious and frustrated when you find your mind wandering. As long as you’re taking a few minutes to 2. You can’t stop thinking Many people think that meditation means that they have to clear their mind of all thoughts, and they must be doing it wrong if thoughts keep popping up. However, thoughts aren’t something to be afraid of or avoided in meditation. Instead of judging yourself when thoughts arise and trying to force them out, try accepting your thoughts and allowing them to pass through your mind. Meditation is about accepting the present moment fully and allowing all sensations, thoughts, and feelings to arise and pass away. Your only job is to notice everything that comes up. When a thought comes up just try to notice it, but don’t resist it. There is always another thought to be had, and trying to control them is just going to leave you feeling frustrated. When you start to allow your thoughts to come and go as they please without judgment, you can start to take a step back from them. 3. You feel bored Boredom is a very common problem during meditation. Sometimes it can feel like you’re just sitting there, doing nothing, and your mind starts to wander off to all the other things you could be doing. One of the best things you can do if you’re feeling bored during meditation is to approach your meditation practice with curiosity and openness to whatever arises. If there is boredom, just notice your boredom like you would any other emotion or thought. Just like you would notice any feelings of anxiety or sadness during meditation you can notice your boredom too. It is just another feeling after all. You can also experiment with different types of meditation, such as guided meditations or mantra meditations to help keep your mind engaged and focused. 4. Not feeling motivated to meditate Feeling unmotivated to meditate can be particularly frustrating for people trying to establish a meditation habit. It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and feel like you don’t have time to meditate or that it’s not worth the effort. If you don’t feel motivated to meditate, don’t beat yourself up, this is a very common problem. Remember why you got into meditation in the first place. Reestablish your “why”. Maybe you want to improve your focus, become more patient with loved ones, or release stress from your day. The benefits of meditation really are innumerable. If sitting down in unmoving silence just seems completely unappealing to you, you luckily have other options. The awesome thing about mindful practice is that you can apply it to just about any area of your life. Try mindfully making a meal. Pay close attention and focus your awareness on every vegetable chopped, the sound of the water boiling, or the taste of the delicious meal you just made. Another one of my favorite meditative mindfulness practices is going for a walk. Take a mindful walk and make an intention to be present and mindful of everything that you hear, see, and feel during it. 5. You can’t stay awake Sometimes meditation can leave you feeling so relaxed that you end up falling asleep! This happens more often than you think. The time of day that you meditate will affect how sleepy you are and the likelihood that you’ll fall asleep during your meditation. Some people will actually meditate at night on purpose to help them fall asleep, but if you’re not trying to fall asleep I’d recommend earlier in the day. Morning meditations can be a great way to start your day with a clear mind. Afternoon or midday meditations are also a great alternative to those sleepy nighttime meditations to help you take a break from your day. If you have trouble staying awake during a meditation make sure to check your posture. You’re much more likely to fall asleep if you’re meditating lying down. Try meditating in a chair or upright on the floor to stay alert and awake for the duration of your meditation. 6. Feeling frustrated or irritated Feeling irritation and frustration during meditation is very common. Whether it’s directed at yourself, the meditation or the environment around you frustration can keep you from relaxing and enjoying the benefits of mindfulness. Anger is a common emotion and like all other emotions that arise during meditative practice, we should begin to deal with it just by becoming aware of it. Notice your frustration as it arises and just hold it in

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