Why We 'Fail' at Meditating and How to Start Zenning Out Like a Pro

Meditation. It's that magical practice that promises inner peace, heightened awareness, and a direct line to your spiritual side. But if you're like most of us, your attempts at meditation might resemble a comedy sketch more than a path to enlightenment. Fear not, though, because we're about to explore why we "fail" at meditating and offer you some genuinely useful tips to help you kickstart your meditation journey. So, grab your cushion, align your chakras, and let's dive in!

1. **The Mind That Never Shuts Up:**

One of the primary reasons we "fail" at meditating is the relentless chatterbox in our heads. Our minds jump from one thought to another faster than a squirrel on caffeine. Trying to silence it during meditation? Good luck with that! Instead, try techniques that acknowledge and work with your thoughts. My main advice for starting a meditation journey is to STILL THE BODY SO THE MIND CAN FOLLOW! Before trying to dive straight into meditation after running round like a headless chicken - try practices such as mindful drawing (such as mandalas), gentle yoga or another flow state activity that helps to still the body, making it easier for the mind to follow suit

**Tip:** Explore mindfulness meditation. Rather than suppressing your thoughts, simply observe them without judgment. Watch them float by like leaves on a river. Eventually, your mental chatter will settle down, and you'll find moments of blissful quiet. Before trying to dive straight into meditation after running round like a headless chicken - trying practices such as mindful drawing, (such as mandalas) yoga or another flowstate activity that helps to still the body, making it easier for the mind to follow.

2. **Uncomfortable Positions:**

Who decided that sitting cross-legged for hours was the only way to meditate? The reality is, if your body is screaming in agony, you're not going to achieve spiritual enlightenment; you're just going to end up with a sore backside - That being said, as my teacher used to say 'no one ever died from meditation' so sit WITH the pain, find comfort in the discomfort & see if you can move through it resisting the urge to move away from it!

**Tip:** Experiment with different meditation postures. Try sitting on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, lying down, or even standing. The goal is to find a comfortable position that allows you to relax and focus on your meditation practice without distractions. You can get floor chairs with back support that can hep aid uncomfortability

3. **Time Crunch:**

We live in a fast-paced world, and finding time to meditate can be a challenge. Many of us rush into meditation, thinking that a quick five-minute session will do the trick. But it often leaves us feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.

**Tip:** Start small and gradually build your meditation practice. Even just a few minutes a day can make a difference. As you become more comfortable, increase the duration. It's not about the quantity; it's about the quality of your practice.

4. **Meditation FOMO:**

With so many meditation techniques and styles out there, it's easy to suffer from "meditation FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out). You try one type, hear about another, and end up feeling like a spiritual nomad lost in a maze of mantras and mudras.

**Tip:** Explore different types of meditation, but don't overwhelm yourself. Start with a simple and well-known practice like mindfulness meditation. Once you've established a routine, you can experiment with other techniques like Trataka meditation (candle gazing) or Zenways (Zen meditation).

5. **Breathing Blunders:**

We all breathe, right? So why do we need to learn how to do it during meditation? Well, it turns out that even breathing requires a bit of finesse when it comes to meditation. Unconscious shallow breathing can hinder your progress.

**Tip:** Practice breathwork exercises to enhance your meditation experience. Try deep diaphragmatic breathing, where you focus on inhaling and exhaling from your diaphragm. This not only calms your mind but also provides a steady anchor for your meditation practice. Box breathing & counting the breath can do wonders for grounding & getting to grips with meditations too, if you're feeling like exploring your inner Darth Vader, check out 'Ujjayi' breathing - which is a type of yogic breath or pranayama commonly used in various yoga practices. It is sometimes referred to as "Ocean Breath" due to the sound it produces when practiced correctly. Ujjayi breath involves controlled, rhythmic breathing through the nose, with a slight constriction in the back of the throat

Meditation isn't about perfection; it's about progress. We all stumble on our journey to inner peace, but with a bit of humor, patience, and the right techniques, you can transform those "failures" into stepping stones towards a more zenful existence.

So, keep calm, meditate on, and remember that the path to enlightenment is paved with a few giggles along the way!