“I can’t seem to meditate!” I hear this all the time from my coaching clients. Why do we spiritual pilgrims, those of us who are otherwise dedicated to a spiritual walk, resist this practice?
Realtors talk about “location, location, location.” Thoreau told us to “simplify, simplify, simplify.” We all know the great gurus tells us to “meditate, meditate, meditate.” Still we resist. How can we overcome resistance and adhere to our meditation practice?
When we meditate, we don’t immediately see the results. The effects of meditation are cumulative, much like a physical workout. In this results and outcome-oriented society, we may feel like we aren’t achieving anything by the practice of sitting. Deep down we may feel like we are wasting time, even if intellectually we know we really need to spend time in silence.
We may have to look at our dedication to a meditative practice through the eyes of spirit, rather than with the worldly eye, to overcome our resistance. We may also bypass our resistance by not waiting until we are in the mood to sit, but committing to a practice by scheduling it much like anything else we are committed to. If we really want to shift our experience, we may have to choose our commitment to spirit consciously over our emotions. If we are feeling angry or nervous, we can take the feelings with us into our sitting experience. If we wait until we are in just the right mental state, we may never get to it! We take a shower, for instance, whether we are in the mood or not. If we are committed to meditation, we want to conceptualize our practice as just part of our self-care routine.
You may want to employ some of the strategies that you use to motivate yourself to do a physical workout. Having a meditation buddy, someone to support your commitment, can really help. You might choose to get together with others in your sangha in the morning (sort of a breakfast club for mediators). Group gatherings have the added exponential power of positive energy—“when two or more our gathered.” A spiritual life coach, such as yours truly, can support your meditation and can help you to commit to this spiritual practice.
