Are you struggling with mindfulness? You’re not alone.
Reaching a mindfulness state may seem easy when you read or hear about it, but when it’s time to actually do it, that’s when things become challenging.
Here are some common mindfulness mistakes you should avoid:
Your Main Goal is To Relax
A common mistake many people made is that they meditate with the main goal to “relax”.
The truth is, relaxation is the side effect of meditation, but it’s not its main goal.
Meditation’s goal is two create the perfect equilibrium between alertness and balance.
A typical scenario is an individual rushing in to meditate after a stressful situation and expecting instant relaxation.
The truth about meditation is that you don’t fall into a relaxed state right away, especially if you haven’t been doing it regularly.
It will take time; therefore, if relaxation is your primary goal, then this will definitely not work for you.
Meditation is all about bringing more awareness to yourself. This is when you reach a level of mindfulness, which will require regular practice.
Don’t rush into it — it’s not Xanax.
You Rely Too Much on Guided Meditation
If you want to achieve a high level of mindfulness, you need to allow yourself to reach a point where you can do it independently.
Don’t get me wrong; There’s nothing wrong with guided meditation. I support it.
However, that doesn’t mean you need to do it every time. Having too much of it will make your mindfulness journey reliant on something or someone else.
Don’t you want to be able to do it all on your own?
The reason behind mindfulness practices and using guided meditation is to ease you into the practice.
To put it simply, guided meditation is primarily for beginners.
If you have been doing it for quite some time now, then it’s about time that you make plans of “weaning” yourself off of it and doing the meditation all by yourself.
Eventually, you’re going to have to be able to do it on your own because it’s at that point where you’ll be able to reach your desired level of mindfulness that will bring you your desired peace.
You Practice When You’re Anxious or Upset
I’ve seen it and read it so many times that you meditate every time you feel upset or anxious. It’s become a piece of common advice.
There’s nothing wrong with this. In fact, it’s extremely helpful.
It becomes a problem when you meditate only when you feel these emotions. When this happens, you won’t be able to reach the state of mindfulness that you desire.
Conversely, meditating during a time when your stress levels are at their highest isn’t a good idea.
You will only put more pressure on yourself that could potentially lead you to feel more stressed.
Find time to meditate even when you’re not anxious or upset.
From there, you can reach a level of mindfulness that will be highly beneficial for you.
You Hold On to Thoughts
If you’re new to meditation, it’s understandable that you will find it challenging to let go of the thoughts that cross your mind during your meditation practice.
It’s natural. Even experts experience this.
However, many people actually cling onto a thought obsessively during the practice, which becomes a problem.
If you’re one of them, remember that meditation isn’t a time to analyze things.
Actively let go of the thoughts that come.
You Expect Quick Results
Meditation isn’t an overnight cure. Yet, a lot of people treat it as some form of medication.
If you’re one of them, then don’t waste your time; meditation won’t work for you.
You need to realize that meditation is a spiritual practice. It will not bring your desired results overnight.
It takes work, time, and patience until you experience the right flow that will gradually bring to you your desired results.
Don’t sweat it!
Mindfulness has a lot of benefits, and it will come to you naturally.
Take your time.
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