Yoga has been repackaged by the west to look luxe, aspirational and effortless but when it comes to meditation realities this image could not be more misleading and is why meditation can feel so difficult and full of disappointments.
It is also often confused with mindfulness, seeing the words used interchangeably. Practicing mindfulness is bringing yourself very much to the present moment and the task in hand. For example mindfully tying your laces would have you absorbed in only that task and how it affected your senses; the feel of the laces, the muscle memory of the action, the scent of leather etc, it is the quality you bring to the everyday. Different to meditation which has us be with our thoughts. John Kabat-Zinn says ‘Mindfulness is a quality, meditation is a practice.’
Additionally we blur activities that feel meditative with being a meditation, often stating ‘walking is my meditation’ or ‘painting is my meditation’, even ‘my workout is my meditation’. An activity may feel meditative but it isn’t meditation. Meditation is messy, hard and it can be awful to confront your mind and it’s darker thoughts – not exactly great marketing and aligning to yogas faux blissful PR image.
Meditation is a skill that requires practice just like running further, sleeping better or learning a new language. Meditation is a skill that requires refinement, patience and flexibility to meet the fluctuations of the mind and our ever changing inner landscapes. Often we aren’t even taught that there are many ways to meditate and another one may meet our needs.
We give up because it’s difficult. We give up because our body feels stiff or we try one version we don’t like and never try another type. We give up because the peace we see advertised and promoted isn’t instantly there. We give up because the tranquility we were promised feels a lot more like a sore knee and wondering what time it is for the entire practice. We give up because it’s a disappointment, because there is a vast lack of honesty about the practice.But do we then just give up on ourselves?
Ultimately yoga isn’t pleasure seeking and when we strive for an end result such as a tricky pose , a harder practice, an instantly transformational meditation we lose ourselves before we begin. Yoga is always philosophy first so drop the idea of meditation being a quick hook up and tie the knot for the long haul through the good, the bad and the bland- you are worth the commitment.
