Well here's some breaking news: nobody does all of the things we're supposed to do to be healthy. If we did we'd blind each other with our glaringly white teeth, and the part of the day when we weren't running we'd be in the bathroom ridding ourselves of all the excess water. We'd have no time for anything else. But even though I think we all recognize, at least on some level, that it's impossible to do everything right all of the time, we still feel bad about it. Take, for example, meditating.
Meditation is getting a lot of coverage these days, and everyone seems to be talking about it. I've been struggling with some health issues these past few months, requiring many trips to various health practitioners, and without a doubt (and regardless of the diagnosis given, which varies wildly from doctor to doctor), the one thing they've all been consistent about is telling me to meditate. I don't disagree that meditation can have health benefits -- I've read the research and know first-hand that I feel better, mentally and physically, when I meditate regularly. But I think we need to be careful about latching on to meditation as the "silver bullet" for whatever ails you. In fact, according to a recent article in the Boston Globe, The Stress of Not Meditating, telling someone they need to meditate can actually cause them stress.
"Nothing’s more stressful than hearing about the advantages of something you’re not doing."
So, if you are one of the many who wants to be "calm and happy and live in the now" but who also has a mile-long list of things you can accomplish with that extra 15 minutes, you are not alone. If you are feeling stressed because you know you should meditate, your doctor, yoga teacher, or best friend has told you that you need to do it, take heart in knowing that even the person recommending it to you probably doesn't do it, at least not regularly (although they might not admit it).
So should you give up on the idea entirely? Well, that's up to you. But before you do, consider this:
- Meditation is only one form of mindfulness practice. If sitting on a cushion for thirty minutes a day isn't something you want to do, there are other options. You can breathe deeply and mindfully at stop lights, or spend the first 10 minutes of your lunch time eating slowly and quietly. The idea is to incorporate small mindful moments into activities you do regularly; anything that brings on a relaxation response counts.
- You may already do things that approximate meditation. Many activities like gardening, hiking, or playing music bring our brains close to a meditative state. In short, if you lose track of time doing a favorite activity (i.e. reach a state of "flow"), you're receiving some of the same physiological benefits as you would get through meditating on a cushion.
- There are no rules. There are many types of meditation, so you should explore the options and choose something that works for you. Also, starting slowly is perfectly acceptable -- if five minutes on the cushion (or chair or bed) is all you can or want to do, just do that. The meditation police will never know and, even if they did, they don't write tickets.