Isn"t Meditation Just a Waste of Time?
The most frequent response I get from people when I talk about learning how to meditate is, "Isn't that just a waste of time?" After years of teaching people how to meditate, I shouldn't be surprised by this question.
But I am.
Meditation has grown tremendously in popularity in the U.
S.
in the past decade or so but there are still many incomplete clichés and misleading preconceptions out there amongst the public.
"What can just sitting around with your eyes closed do for you?" That's another way I have heard doubt about the benefits of meditation expressed.
That's a shame because if your goal is to be productive every day and you aren't meditating regularly than you're missing out on a proven performance enhancing method.
Regular meditation provides a clarity of thought and focus that can only lead to you be more successful in whatever you are doing.
Yes, from the outside looking in, all a meditator is doing is sitting there with his/her eyes closed "doing nothing.
" Trust me, the outside perspective is the only one that will lead you to believe that.
From the inside looking out as you are meditating the experience is one of focusing your attention in a deliberate manner.
Whether you're focusing on your breath or a phrase or an image is almost secondary.
The most important part of the process is that you are actively focusing you mind.
The more you practice focusing your mind the better you get.
So, let me ask you a question, do you think learning how to have more control over your attention is a waste of time? Do you think it could help you in your life? If so, then you should learn how.
At this point, most people say something like, "But I don't know how.
There are so many different ways.
How do I know which one is right for me?" That's true.
There are many different ways to meditate.
But the essence of meditation is learning how to settle your mind (the seemingly endless stream of thoughts you have everyday) and directing it to focus on a specific target, goal or process.
Guided visualization is a simple, easy to learn and powerful technique that anyone can pick up quickly.
Learning and becoming proficient at guided visualization will increase your ability to focus and provide you with a foundation for more advanced meditations.
Meditation - the all-natural performance enhancer.
But I am.
Meditation has grown tremendously in popularity in the U.
S.
in the past decade or so but there are still many incomplete clichés and misleading preconceptions out there amongst the public.
"What can just sitting around with your eyes closed do for you?" That's another way I have heard doubt about the benefits of meditation expressed.
That's a shame because if your goal is to be productive every day and you aren't meditating regularly than you're missing out on a proven performance enhancing method.
Regular meditation provides a clarity of thought and focus that can only lead to you be more successful in whatever you are doing.
Yes, from the outside looking in, all a meditator is doing is sitting there with his/her eyes closed "doing nothing.
" Trust me, the outside perspective is the only one that will lead you to believe that.
From the inside looking out as you are meditating the experience is one of focusing your attention in a deliberate manner.
Whether you're focusing on your breath or a phrase or an image is almost secondary.
The most important part of the process is that you are actively focusing you mind.
The more you practice focusing your mind the better you get.
So, let me ask you a question, do you think learning how to have more control over your attention is a waste of time? Do you think it could help you in your life? If so, then you should learn how.
At this point, most people say something like, "But I don't know how.
There are so many different ways.
How do I know which one is right for me?" That's true.
There are many different ways to meditate.
But the essence of meditation is learning how to settle your mind (the seemingly endless stream of thoughts you have everyday) and directing it to focus on a specific target, goal or process.
Guided visualization is a simple, easy to learn and powerful technique that anyone can pick up quickly.
Learning and becoming proficient at guided visualization will increase your ability to focus and provide you with a foundation for more advanced meditations.
Meditation - the all-natural performance enhancer.
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