Meditation Misconceptions Part 2
After two and a half years, I wanted to share some new insights into meditation.
Meditation is just sitting
Most of my past meditation practice was simple: just sit on the cushion. A Buddhist monk shared that it's common to practice gentle movement before, however, maybe walking meditation, or yoga. Walking was my first foray into pre-sitting movement, trying the monk's suggestion of balancing the time at 10 minutes each of walking, then sitting. The results were limited for me, I found it hard to concentrate during the walking portion, and not particularly relaxed once on the cushion.
This year, having been practicing yoga, I experimented with 5-10 minutes of yoga instead, and have found it effective. The basic idea is that I'm carrying a lot of stress and tension in my body, and without an outlet, sitting on the cushion will bring that stress and tension with me. For me, movements involving my hips, back, and shoulders are highly effective at easing that tension, such that once on the mat, I'm able to ease into the meditation much easier.
I think of this as calming before meditation.
Meditation is just watching the breath
This one caught me by surprise, after spending hours on the cushion watching myself breathe shallowly: it's not against the practice to guide my breath, especially when I'm in an elevated state of stress. This misconception relates to the above, in that meditation is allowed to be a calming experience. Not that sitting with stress and discomfort isn't part of the practice, but I think of it as bringing myself out of the overwhelm zone and back into the challenge zone.
Some easy techniques include 4-7-8 breathing (for calming) and box breathing (for regulation and focus).
I think of this as calming during meditation.
Meditation is torture
Related to the previous, I spent hours trying to meditate in a state of heightened anxiety bordering on panic. I'd get through to the end, up to 45 minutes, and not feel any better for it; sometimes I'd feel exhausted afterward. The simple truth of the matter is that meditation does not need to be torture. If I'm in a panicked state, then silent meditation may not be the right call; that's not failure, that's meeting myself where I'm at.
The story the monks like to tell is of the king's chef. The first chef makes the same meal every day, despite the king's protests, inclinations, and moods. This chef does not last long in the king's court. The next chef, however, has a keen eye, and closely monitors the king before, during, and after each meal. This chef cooks the right meal for the right moment, and the king is delighted.
I think of this as choosing the right tool. It may look like swapping meditation for another activity: yoga, walking, socializing. I notice that after these, I feel lighter and calmer.