Meditation, by some, may appear to be difficult, complicated, and new age-ish. Truth be told, the premise is very simple. It's about paying attention (often to your breath) and when thoughts are cascading in your mind, to simply and gently return to paying attention to your breath. Returning attention is done over and over again. That's the nugget of meditation-bringing attention back to breath (or other focal point).
Often people make one of two mistakes. First, they believe that the goal is to feel peaceful and blissful. You may experience a sense of bliss but the goal is focusing (paying attention) and when your mind wanders, to gently bring it back without judgment. It's not true that you've "not done it right" when your mind is very chatty or busy.
Secondly, it's been thought that meditation, due to its reputation as a stress management tool, is only necessary when you're experiencing stress. If you relegate meditation to stressful situations only, it won't work as fully as its able. It's recommended to be practiced regularly to begin training the mind to slow down, calm itself, and create more space.
While 20-30 minutes is thought to be ideal, you can start with 5 minutes three or four times a week.
Are you willing to experiment with meditation and see for yourself what its like? Don't expect to notice changes right off; like anything it takes some practice.
Often people make one of two mistakes. First, they believe that the goal is to feel peaceful and blissful. You may experience a sense of bliss but the goal is focusing (paying attention) and when your mind wanders, to gently bring it back without judgment. It's not true that you've "not done it right" when your mind is very chatty or busy.
Secondly, it's been thought that meditation, due to its reputation as a stress management tool, is only necessary when you're experiencing stress. If you relegate meditation to stressful situations only, it won't work as fully as its able. It's recommended to be practiced regularly to begin training the mind to slow down, calm itself, and create more space.
While 20-30 minutes is thought to be ideal, you can start with 5 minutes three or four times a week.
Are you willing to experiment with meditation and see for yourself what its like? Don't expect to notice changes right off; like anything it takes some practice.