Has mindfulness mediation become the latest bandwagon to jump on?
Over the past few years, I’ve written about mindfulness and meditation a few times, both on this blog and elsewhere.
I’ve read research on the ‘neuroscience of meditation‘, and how such practices can ‘change your brain’, improve your health and wellbeing, and train your attention.
I’m aware of the differences between ‘mindfulness’ and ‘meditation’. I’ve even attended mindfulness training sessions, downloaded the HeadSpace app, and quizzed meditation teachers about their practice.
Despite being well-versed in the theory and health claims, I’ve recently started to ‘come out’ as a meditation drop-out and sceptic.
It works for plenty of people. But I don’t really like it, and so it doesn’t work for me.
I find seated meditation … stressful.
Much to my surprise, many people I’ve admitted this to have sheepishly agreed. Even if they don’t find it stressful, they report finding the entire experience underwhelming, irritating, challenging, or a waste of time.
We’re probably all a little sheepish admitting this because the current western narrative around meditation seems to promise so much: inner wisdom, personal transformation, improved workplace cultures, happier school children, calmer parenting, reduced stress, laser sharp focus and ability to pay attention, better mental health, entrepreneurial success, and wealth. Even world peace.
No matter your problem, there’s a mindfulness app for it.
To be fair, I’ve probably paid too much attention to the current narrative around McMindfulness mindfulness and meditation, instead of trying to explore the practice. But I don’t think I went into this looking for a quick fix. I was seduced by the claims and research backing up the claims, that meditation is a great antidote to stress.
Others agree. Meditation isn’t a panacea.
In the process of writing thinking about this post, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that there are a few others popping their hands up admitting that it doesn’t work for them either, and that there might even be a dark side to the current craze.
Dawn Foster wrote a piece recently in the Guardian ‘Is mindfulness making us ill?’ describing her highly negative meditation experience:
I feel a rising panic and worry that I might pass out, my mind racing. Then we’re told to open our eyes and the feeling dissipates. I look around. No one else appears to have felt they were facing imminent death. What just happened?
For days afterwards, I feel on edge. I have a permanent tension headache and I jump at the slightest unexpected noise. The fact that something seemingly benign, positive and hugely popular had such a profound effect has taken me by surprise.
Even a year later, recalling the sensations and feelings I experienced in that room summons a resurgent wave of panic and tightness in my chest. Out of curiosity, I try the Headspace app, but the breathing exercises leave me with pins and needles in my face and a burgeoning terror. “Let your thoughts move wherever they please,” the app urges. I just want it to stop. And, as I discovered, I’m not the only person who doesn’t find mindfulness comforting.
Foster is not alone. Authors
Listening into a podcast by yogi and meditation practitioner Jonathan Fields, I heard great analogy from him of how mindfulness can harm when it is presented as an isolated practice.
Meditation cultivates awareness. It stills the water so you can see what’s underneath lying in the sand. But if you don’t like what you see, it doesn’t make it all better.
And, Wikholm has summarised the final chapter in a great piece for The Guardian, ‘Seven common myths about meditation’. She writes,
Nevertheless, there is emerging scientific evidence from case studies, surveys of meditators’ experience and historical studies to show that meditation can be associated with stress, negative effects and mental health problems. For example, one study found that mindfulness meditation led to increased cortisol, a biological marker of stress, despite the fact that participants subjectively reported feeling less stressed.
It’s definitely not just me!
This is why meditation stresses me out.
It is REALLY hard to do.
I KNOW that its not a quick easy fix. But overachiever I am, I like taking on a new challenge that has a reasonable chance of success, or at least small wins early on in the process. Enjoyment, not repeated failure, is what I find rewarding, motivating, and keeps me coming back for more.
Yes, I’m aware that its natural for my mind to wander, and that I should compassionately and mindfully bring my attention back to my breath etc etc … but after a year or two of trying (including guided mediations and an MBSR course) I’ve failed to manage to sit and ‘just be’ for longer than half a minute.
I’ve never found it peaceful and calming, instead the battle with myself to ‘just be’ has the opposite effect. At times I’ve been left emotionally drained, raw and with a deep sense of failure with every session.
So, I given up. I’ve stopped trying to meditate. I still try to mindfully empty the dishwasher, peg the clothes out on the line, and focus on the world around me when walking. But sitting and watching my breath. Nope. I’ve chosen to give up feeling stressed while trying to engage in a practice that is meant to reduce stress.
Instead of meditation, I find my place and moment of calm.
As I explain in my Bottom-Up, Outside-In, Top-Down model of brain health, I believe there are plenty of ways to access your nervous system to counteract the stress response. Top-Down techniques can be some of the trickiest to master.
In the absence of a meditation practice, I use a combination of of Bottom-Up, Outside-In AND Top-Down tools to reduce my stress response, modulate my emotions, and cultivate self awareness.
- I walk. In nature. Every day (if I can). I’ve found it’s hard to walk ‘wrong’. When I walk I don’t have the constant narrative running through my head as I do when meditating. Am I walking the right way? Am I thinking too much about walking? Oh no, now I’m feeling sleepy! Will falling asleep ruin my practice? I’m such a novice. Perhaps I should go home and an app to talk me through each step. No need to compassionately observe my mind. I just walk with my dog, and think about whatever I want.
- I read. My favourite part of the day is getting into bed with a good book. I consider loosing myself for an hour in a novel the ultimate mindful attentive practice.
- I get curious about my emotions. I recently gave up my 5pm red wine habit for FebFast. The first two weeks I struggled with cravings come late afternoon (that is another blog post). Instead of fighting them, I tried to explore them as a good scientist should. What were the physical sensations involved? What was triggered the craving? Could I distract myself? Did the cravings come in waves that eventually subsided. Curiosity killed the cravings!
- I nap. If I feel like it, I indulge my circadian rhythms and take a mid-afternoon nap when the urge strikes. I’m very good at it. It feels sooo good. And quite frankly, it’s hard to do it ‘wrong’. Plus we have plenty of evidence it smooths emotions, sparks creativity and improves your memory.
Walk. Read. Get curious. Nap. No courses, apps, or gurus required!
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THANK HEAVENS! I’ve been getting stressed just ‘cos I haven’t even started to attempt mindfulness meditation. I think I’ll stick with nana naps and exercise.
There is a new field on trauma informed mindfulness you might find interesting. I echo other comments here on finding what fits your unique system. All of this is normal and likely more common than is currently discussed. I have been meditating daily for more than 20 years, and five years using sensory based mindfulness. I am also a trauma survivor with an ACE score of 7 and have a vigilant, hyper sensitive system. There are multiple ways to support the system when starting meditation and mindfulness. I recommend checking out Dr David Treleaven’s work. All of the other stress supports mentioned here are great – and can be paired with contemplative practices.
Good article. Some personal experiences from someone who has meditated on and off for over twenty years:
I find that there are periods (of many months) when I enjoy meditation – and others, as long, when it is just the wrong thing. I’m going through one of those periods at the moment and there is no apparent reason for it. I’m perfectly happy in life and enjoying myself – I just don’t want to adopt what feels like a bit of an insular focus. I do find that if I attempt to meditate under these circumstances that it does have a negative consequence for my overall mood.
I also find I have two sorts of ‘monkey mind’: One that is productive, fueling new insights and ideas, which I actively use and wouldn’t want to suppress, and the other definitely a case of rumination and over thinking.
The best cure for rumination, for me, is a good hard cycle, row, run – whatever it takes to get me physically working hard – out in the open, natural environment. This stops the rumination in its tracks and has a lasting effect after the exercise is over. In my experience meditation won’t do it. I strongly suspect that ‘rumination’, as a sign of ill-being, is more to do with the absence of physical activity than absence of meditation – coupled perhaps with individual disposition. There doesn’t appear to me to be any evolutionary logic to meditation in its own right – so my guess is that what it deals with is a maladaptive consequence of relatively sedentary lifestyles – and the absence of the kind of engagement with our environments that we experience in natural surroundings.
I do find that meditation does help me develop very intense focus and an ability to ignore environmental ‘irritants’ – but beyond that I’m not entirely sure of what I get out of it. That’s not to say there aren’t any benefits – it’s just that I have no control sample to compare with.
Cheers,
Ross
For the majority of my life walking and reading have been my main form of relaxation. Only more recently has an occasional nap come into my life. I love your article as it brings forth the benefits of these activities.
When I tried to meditate I could only sit still for about 5 seconds before squirming and feeling very uncomfortable. It felt all wrong to me. What worked instead was beginning with a moving meditation, specifically Yuan Gong. Moving my body in a rhythmic and relaxing way, unifiying my mind and body together, to help my mind become still. The consequence is that I can sit and meditate easily now and have a greater ability to calm my thoughts, and change them. Worked for me.
As a novice I have found some benefits but in unexpected ways.It seems to have given me a modicum of control over my thoughts and increased my will power.I feel I can keep doing ‘the hard miles’and reduced my procrastination.I still look for benefits which is not the aim,but I quickly decided not to stick to a rigid formulae of exercises but combine it with sitting physical exercises( neck and shoulder).Being in the’now’ when doing day to day activities can be enjoyable and has certainly proved to me,to quote Shakespeare,”There is nothing either good or bad,but thinking makes it so.” to be spot on.Therefore,being flexible in what you do,certainly not trying to become the next Dalai Lama,and cherry pick or create your own routines.It then links up nicely with positive psychology which is more goal oriented.
Hi Sarah, Tis is important for meditation teachers to read. One thing I have become aware of: we are not all wired the same. So, I can see where you are coming from. You are a high achiever, a thinker, and a creative person. Your life is probably as stable as we can get given the world we live in.
I believe that when my life is running smoothly I have no need to meditate, my thoughts are flowing freely and this in itself is a meditation….BUT than, I find myself like a mouse in a maze, heading here and there, without meaning, very scattered, unproductive, I go out to do one job, than see another and my body wants to do that, when another pops out as more important, Now those are the times when just stopping, coming inside, picking up my book I am presently reading, or turn on some quiet pleasant music, sitting down and “starting over”. mindfully saying to myself:”go out side and do ONE thing, when that is done do the next.” and giving reassurance that I DO NOT HAVE TO IT ALL today! This is a method of meditation which prevents our brains from running off the track. Than I am An “A” blood type, and have cortisol being secreted in my body all the time, and a little stress runs me off the track, a brain wreck.
The most effective meditation is after a 90 min yoga class, is savasana, where we allow all the body parts to relax, to release all the tension, to “settle” in to place of peace. This is where we find we are pushing the tension around never catching it, so to just let the floor support us, to let go trust the surface of the Earth press up to us and holding us, with no need to worry or be tense.
Than we get up and are refreshed to head back into what life has to offer in the next moment, and can smile.
It had become a stress for me because it had turned into something on my to-do list. Therefore, since I was Never meditating all of my life, it became a guilty weight of a brick on my psychological sholder. So, I am very happy to learn that you, an overachiever, put your experiences here & that I was lucky to have it come to my phone app!! Thsnk you, universe!
I have used mindful meditation (and other means) as a way of trying to manage a chronic health condition I’ve had for some 55 years. I use this approach as a way of trying to find a way to control the course of the illness. While I believe that stress is a paramount factor, nothing I’ve tried in the alternative realm has shown any indication of reversing the course, albeit I sleep better and feel better – give the old placebo effect credit for that.
I keep thinking, ‘Where is the role of traditional medicine in helping me to manage my condition?’ No hope they would have an answer that would give me a feeling of healing. It’s been decades of taking prescription medications on a daily basis and other practices which seem to lead nowhere and leave me frustrated.
I teach workshops in meditation, and one of the myths I expose is that meditation makes you peaceful. Another is that you have to sit in discomfort, legs tied in knots. Another is that you need a special ambience. Yet another is that you have to sit for long periods.
What meditation will do is help you know yourself. It will bring up your urge to flee from discomfort, mental , spiritual and physical. It will debunk your desire for a quick-fix. It will shatter any expectations you might have of neon lights and being enlightened in the short term. It is a process of observing yourself increasingly without judgment, without faltering, with steadfast acceptance and affection.
True mindfulness meditation is both specialised and difficult.
What about simply committing to sitting for five minutes when you awake. Just sitting on the side of your bed, feet flat on the floor, and watching how your mind squirms, your nose itches, the to-do list intrudes. It’s very like training a small child. Gentleness, repetition and persistence. Keep it all as simple as possible.
Every time the mind whisks your attention away, simply bring it back to the breath as it moves in and out. Without impatience.
Of the large groups I have taught, only a few get it and persevere. Most are really relaxed and at peace at the end, but of those, most, I suspect, get home and can’t make it part of their routine. One man who got it taught his depressed, suicidal friend how to do it simply. That friend is no longer suicidal.
Most of all, it is necessary to have a purpose to meditate. If you simply want to be in fashion, you assuredly will not succeed. If you are serious about reducing your stress levels, meditation works. It all depends on how much you want it, and why.
I have meditated consistently for 41 years and it is as natural to do it as it is to clean my teeth.
I liken the practise of it to learning a language or an instrument.
It is not meant to be easy and a lot perseverance is required in order to become proficient.
We are a quick fix society and lose patience if success doesn’t happen quickly.
We also as a society crave pleasure and avoid pain. Meditation teaches you to be equanimous with
whatever you are faced with in life whether it be pleasure or pain as neither are permanent.
N=1
Really that’s all that needs to be said.
I’ve meditated and found it immensely helpful before going to bed when I worked at a mental health treatment center. It cleared my mind and settled my body. I’ve known folks who have had mental breakdowns from meditation – leading me to think that is why the ancient ones always had a teacher to guide you.
I didn’t meditate when I immersed myself in the piano as an adult – music was my meditation and is known as the fastest spiritual pathway. I couldn’t play or practice well if my mind was focused on something else.
My active mind needed a system for meditation and Amma’s IAM technique was the perfect fit. It’s not a good fit for others. Many very spiritual folks never meditate – they live life as a meditation: Love and Serve. Just like food, there is only one diet and that is your’s. It’s not the same as anyone else on the planet and it is not stagnant. Listen to your body moment by moment, discern the inner knowing to dance your dance, sing your song, walk your walk. I meditate 2x/week and don’t worry about how my mind or body feels about it because it makes my soul sing.
A belief is a thought you keep thinking.
If you believe meditation doesn’t work for you, and that’s your belief, then you’ll keep thinking about it (and writing about it), and your thoughts and writings will continue to reconfirm your belief, and that is how it will be for you.
Feeling “pleasantly surprised” that others feel the same is also reconfirming/supporting your belief that meditation doesn’t work for you.
That’s all okay. If you feel something else works that has the same benefits, all good.
I agree with this sentiment. Although I did give it a fair old whirl!
I feel that, like most things in life, meditation and mindfulness work for some and not for others. I started practicing both a few years back in an attempt to do something about my serious insomnia. Additionally, I have been very sick for 7 years and hoped it may help generally with managing difficult and painful days. Although I am still very, very much a beginner, and hopeless when it comes to ‘stilling my mind’ for more than about 1 minute at a time, I can see the benefits of persisting. Something as simple as sitting quietly without needing to have a constant occupation seems a positive challenge and a valuable lesson. And while I have been sick, doctors have prescribed so many different medications for sleep and pain management and many of those have left me worse rather than better. But we don’t immediately discount such medications because they didn’t work for one, so why discount mindfulness and meditation?
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Thanks for this post Sarah. I have been having similar struggles every day when I meditate but it is worth persisting through. Jack Cornfield has a post that touches on this topic. I thought you might enjoy it)
Kind regards Ian.
https://www.jackkornfield.com/a-mind-like-sky/
Thanks for the link – I’ll take a look.
Totally agree with what you’re saying! Many years ago attended a course on Transcendental Meditation but quite frankly always felt quite ill after “meditating”….tired, grumpy and very,very tense coupled with anger…not good at all. Interestingly I have no mind’s eye, aphantasia, so meditation that requires forming mental images are a non starter.
Hi Sarah,
Great post!!
I like you have tried meditation on and off for a number of years to no avail. That is, until six months ago. I came across a new start-up with a tool designed to assist with meditation. I’m thrilled to report that the past six months have resulted in a new found skill to calm my active mind. I urge you to research http://www.choosemuse.com the software available is developing in many different ways.
As I use mindfulness in my practise I’m seeing great progress in my patients. Check it out.
Paul
Hi Paul – thanks for the tip. I’ll take a look at Muse. x
When I was 17 I tried to join a meditation group led by an experienced Indian lady. She turned me away saying was too depressed to meditate. She advised that I should try yoga instead. I didn’t know I was depressed (despite the signs so obvious to others – even this lady who’d known me for just a few minutes).
She was right. Yoga worked by giving me something to focus my mind on. Now I practice yoga, draw and potter in the garden. This is my meditation and it’s what I’m capable of for now.
This experience and my yoga practice, have taught me that to safely practice yoga or meditation, it’s best to do so under the guidance of an experienced teacher who can guide you through what is often a mine field in your mind.
As they are popularised in the West, many practices are plucked in isolation, often without all the protective scaffolding required for safe practice. Even yoga itself suffers from this as people battle with their egos to get their leg around their head whilst their hamstrings are screaming.
There’s nothing wrong with meditation as a practice. It just needs to be taught at the right time, when the student is ready.
I personally am not sure I’ll ever be ready. 26 years after that experience, I’m still not. But now I’m comfortable that I’m on the right path and if I never get to that point, that’s ok. At least I’m walking in the right direction.
It would help to have a clearer understanding of what “meditation” means. As used throughout Asia (and in much of Europe, North and South America and Africa as well) for the past 3000-5000 years, the meaning is extremely simple. Here’s an exercise to make it clear:
With your eyes closed, imagine a candle flame (or any image you find it easy to visualize). Notice TWO aspects of your experience, the image, and Awareness of the image. Now, erase the image, and bring all your attention to the Awareness that remains. Rest in that Awareness.
Once you get a sense of that, continue to do this throughout your day – and when you master lucid dreaming and lucid sleep, throughout the night as well (it’s been proven in numerous laboratories this is possible).
So what “Muse” does (someone mentioned it in an earlier comment) is simply help you relax enough to be able to meditate. It doesn’t actually “teach” you to meditate. No machine can do that, because no machine can detect “Awareness” (this is the “hard problem” that David Chalmers has written about over the past 21 years).
Almost everyone has had glimpses of this Awareness, some while knitting, some while skiing, playing chess, solving a difficult math problem, playing piano, having sex, caring for a sick relative, etc. Many people have never had this experience while “trying” to meditate (ie watching the breath, saying a mantra, observing thoughts, etc).
To understand what meditation is (recognizing the Awareness which is ever present in the midst of experience) it is very very helpful to distinguish “meditation” from “trying to meditate”, which is what this article is about.
Right now, at this very moment, distinct (but not entirely separate from) the environment you’re in as well as all of your internal thoughts, feelings, memories, sensations, and sense of “self”, this unchanging essential Awareness is present. Recognizing this, and remembering to recognize it, is the heart of meditation.
You’re trying too hard to get something. Meditation is about letting go. It doesn’t matter if you cannot concentrate for more than “half a minute”. That’s perfectly normal. The point is that you cultivate awareness of what is happening. Thinking is not wrong or a failure. Noticing that you are thinking is in fact a win because you recognise you were lost or wandering and start again. Let go of the expectations and the need to achieve anything.
Before i understood that it was ‘okay’ to allow and explore the repetitious thoughts I have about the same things, I used to get stressed about the thought of meditation. Now that I have a understanding that by allowing myself to be curious about these thoughts, thus exploring them, I actually really enjoy the process of meditation. Personally this understanding has really desolved any frustration that I had carried. As such I know longer get stressed or frustrated with myself when my thoughts and emotions kick in during a meditation session. Its the opposite really. Happy meditating.
Have you ever tried Transcendental Meditation? It is effortless, without concentration, focus, monitoring thoughts, breath, etc. It’s very blissful & heals the body/mind/emotions. I always have less fatigue and more happiness after doing it 🙂
Lots of research on it too by American Heart Association, National Institute of Heath, etc. It is used in Norwich Military University & given to veterans to heal from PTSD.
http://www.tm.org
Hi, According to the blog, it would seem that one of the people who tried meditation may have had an anxiety disorder. Any feeling of being/feeling “trapped”, e.g., in a class of meditators could lead to panic. Leaders of classes need to be aware of the possibility of having participants with psychological problems. Also the thought that “I should” be able to do this is not helpful, as is the feeling/thought of failure. That’s not what meditation is all about, it’s not a competition or test. And, you don’t have to meditate.
Before I got too busy I used to use TM, for about 45 mins. Just with a mantra and following the breathing. It was fascinating, I disappeared from the head down! Completely unaware of my body, and so relaxed. This is why it can be scary for some people who are used to being in control. Must get back to it:)
Meditation can be peaceful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it always is. When we sit with ourselves and reflect deeply on our thoughts and feelings it can be quite uncomfortable.
Sarah points out that there are many reported benefits to meditation, which we could perceive as opportunities for growth within ourselves. I think it would be fair to say that most of the growth humans experience, emotional or physical, comes during times when we expose ourselves to certain levels of discomfort.
I think it’s very important to allow yourself to sit with yourself at times of discomfort for a few reasons. It allows you to reflect on where this discomfort is coming from and how/why it affects you. It allows you to know yourself and accept yourself as you are, without judgement or expectation of who you should or shouldn’t be. It also allows you to move away from the notion that things are ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but rather just are. The reality is that if you feel stressed when you sit quietly and close your eyes, that stress doesn’t disappear when your eyes are open, you just become distracted from it.
The practices that Sarah outlined as alternatives to meditation are, in my view, distractions and practices of avoidance. She has decided to seek comfort rather than involve herself in an uncomfortable practice of self reflection. There is nothing wrong with this, but it needs to be accepted.
The misconception in society is that meditation is always peaceful and enjoyable, and if it’s not then it’s wrong. To shift this idea and help people understand the important process of inner reflection that comes with a meditation practice will allow for greater degrees of self work, without the internal/external dialogue that often leads to frustration and self judgement during a meditation. You are who you are, whether you reflect on it or not, so take the time to know yourself.
When people are ready to follow this path they will find it for themselves and I don’t believe in convincing people who are not interested of their own volition. I do think, however, that gentle encouragement can be made by giving people the real facts on what it takes to grow, and how meditation can be used as a tool, whether comfortably or otherwise, in this pursuit.
I am constantly nervous at work. Meditation always saves me. I come after a hard day’s work and start meditating. After a year of meditation and yoga practice, I became calmer and more resistant to stress.
Thanks for this article Sarah. I’ve been meditating on and off for 20 years using meditations which come out of the western mystical tradition. In my opinion, what’s missing in the modern discourse around mindfulness is what could be called the “strengthening” aspect. These have to do with training our ability to focus, think clearly and logically, our ability to have some kind of control over our feeling life and also our will forces. Meditation has been taken out of it’s cultural, historical context and repackaged in a secular form without the supporting traditions and practices that helped to protect people from harm. The purpose of meditation has always been spiritual awakening. Spiritual awakenings are rarely comfortable affairs and in most cases challenge the awakener’s every preconceived idea of reality. Without additional exercises to strengthen ourselves inwardly, the spiritual awakenings that can result from meditation can be very dangerous to our mental health and rather than make us more effective in our daily life, which any practice should aim for, can have the opposite effect.
Hi Sarah, just like you, I used not be able to meditate in that ‘classic mindful way’… Just like you, I used to think I couldn’t do it and I had my preferred methods of relaxation i.e. walking in nature, creating art, non-mindful meditation etc.. But I became curious about why I couldn’t do it… Why I had such a resistance towards mindfulness meditation.. After a little bit of self-reflection, I realised that I’ve always been more attracted to ‘escaping’ my mind through meditation… And so I wondered what is my relationship like with my mind…? Why am I more attracted to escaping it? Answering these questions allowed me to develop the self-trust I needed to be able to meditate mindfully… to be able to trust my mind to ‘be a safe space’… Mindfulness meditation may never be for you but as I discovered, it may just be the relationship you have with yourself, that needs to be explored first… to open a door within…
Meditation has good research behind it and some research that shows for some it appears to be disadvantageous.
Forest bathing or nature walking would have the same, pros and cons – good for some not great for others
I think sleep is amazing for us humans across the board, yes a good nap is a winner for all – except for when your driving…
I think instead of trying to “help” Sarah by trying to change her view point it is more helpful to just listen and acknowledge that what is good for some isn’t good for others and that’s just fine.
Taking a multi-faceted, questioning and curious approach to mental health (all health) is a reasonable thing to do.
I am happy to have read this and feel it will certainly assist me to just listen and let go of my future clients that decide not to proceed with meditation without judgement but Instead with great alternative suggestions.
Dr Sarah? Dr Sarah…? Hello, I hear you, you don’t have to yell.
This the fourth time I have had fingers at the ready in order to post a response.
I resonate with Eva’s comments insofar that there is a certain “attention grabbing, heighteness” (made up word) and a splash of book promotion to its tone. But, oh well…
One aspect that comes to mind is that regardless what side of the “benefits of meditation” fence you stand on, its ultimately a slippery slope when one points to articles that points to studies to make your point. In fairness, Dr Sarah abundantly describes her own experience to make her point. By Dr Sarah’s own admission she is an over achiever, and words such as win, lose, failure, reward which all appear in one single paragraph points to how she frames her experience. But in my opinion, meditation is the antithesis to the “and/or” ways of society” . It only takes a bit of practice and patience to experience, that in reality, the human experience is “this, that and the other thing” at once!
The task for meditation teachers is to help students experience what the practice can be and not what it should be. And that in it self takes skill and understanding.
Until Dr Sarah is ready to question or delve deeper into her created narratives, soften her stance on the effort/reward paradigm, then meditation will continue to be a source of stress and frustration. And that’s fair enough, I guess.
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I have found that body based awareness practices such as yoga nidra and “61 points” are an alternative way to obtain the benefits of meditation, without needing to sit with emotions and thoughts, or even the breath, if those methods are too arousing. The practice is active enough to keep the mind engaged, but in a way that allows discursive thought and emotions to settle gradually, naturally. It can provide access to a stillness that is quite a revelation, for those with a particularly active mind. It is a profound “bottom up” approach.
Have you tried transcendental meditation (TM) ? You’re given a phrase or sound you repeat over and over and you’re not supposed to clear your head, but instead let the thoughts come and go as they please.
Great article. I tried meditation, then gave up too as I thought I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t until I went to a meditation class that showed me different ways to meditate that I began to enjoy it. It is not surprising that many people struggle with sitting still as our bodies are made to move. I had never thought that walking in nature, running riding a bike etc was really a form of moving meditation even though I had many friends say that these were the times when they felt calm and relaxed. It is only recently that I realised myself that doing my yoga practice with my eyes closed is my moving meditation. I guess we just need to find the meditation best for us
Thank you for the link.
I can relate to the Sarah point of view however knowing our true self is painful at times as we are not prefect and all have hiding pain.
It takes true courage and strength to do the inner work and Mediation can and will activate and trigger every body in one way or another.
It is know HOW to deal/process the triggers, everyone is different.
Another point I would like to add is Mediation in NOT just sitting down and closing your eyes it is a lifestyle to be present daily.
You can Meditate walk, cleaning the house, food shopping, gardening the list is endless.
Not to Judge, it may not work for Sarah but it works for me.
My personal experience with meditation has been positive but I understand it is not for everyone.
Perhaps its wise for people setting out to explore meditation to be clear about what they want from the practice – is it stress relief the individual is seeking, more peace, or something else and discuss this with the teacher before they begin. The discussion should clarify for the individual whether their expectations can be met and if it is right for them.
Further, Meditation is not for everyone. I agree with Sarah that for some people relaxation can be found jogging, creating a new dish or artwork, exercising, reading a book, walking in nature, etc. I think we all need to find what works for us.
Opinion and experiences vary considerably on the subject. It is my understanding that good teachers will discuss with new students what they are after, if they are under medical treatment, mental health or otherwise and seek their medical practitioner’s authority prior to starting the practice, as delving deeply into the self can be confronting for some people and perhaps dangerous.
Meditation is not an all-encompassing panacea. We need to know what we want from the practice and seek out an experienced teacher who is open to discussing and guiding the individual in what works for them.
I read an article the other day that said for 8% of people meditation is counterproductive and brings about problematic effects of stress, anxiety attacks etc. Well my take is this – for some, exercise can bring about ill effects – but unless we have fractures requiring absolute rest until healed for 4-6 weeks followed by well documented Advantageous Physical rehab.
I would suggest that Dr Sarah’s non-meditation practices could actually be considered mindfulness and even meditation practices, especially the nature bathing and curiosity sittings.
There are 100s if not 1000s of ways to practice awareness – there isn’t a one type or practice fits all. If you don’t like the practice you’ve tried, try things you love and bring awareness to that. And if there are triggers for anxiety and panic with thoughts and feelings – it makes excellent sense to utilise assistance from mental health experts. Of the clients I’ve had that have noted previous or current mental health concerns, I always ask they seek more support and utilise meditation and mindfulness practice as adjunctive tools. Always good to read info that goes against the grain though.
Thanks for your thoughtful feedback Sara.
Was so happy to find your article. I’ve been meditating for years using techniques like biofeedback or other techniques that are not mindful or in the moment. All I seem to find recently on the topic of dealing with stress, grief and other strong emotions are articles or discussions on meditation but specifically mindfulness meditation. Loved the quote you had that if you don’t like what you see, meditation doesn’t necessarily make it better. Really appreciate your sharing your thoughts and links to research on this. Thank you. Currently searching for natural alternatives to mindfulness that might be more effective for those who don’t notice positive results from it.
Thanks for your thoughtful feedback.
I laughed like a drain reading this article. Her preferences for the walk and reading were mindfulness in action. Her arguments against meditation were generalised and anecdotal wth no evidenced based articles.
Meditation in my mind is about balancing the autonomic nervous system . The focus activates the restoring and calming parasympathetic response which relaxes us and actually drops the cortisol. It’s her resistance that is causing the stress which tells me her psyche is a notch too tight and qualifies her for meditation therapy. !!!All in all her article was rubbish. Ill informed with poor self awareness.
Thanks for making my point for me once again, Jillian.
‘She’ is reading and may be a ‘notch too tight’ but that’s ok. Many of us are right now.
As I carefully point out at the beginning of this piece, there is plenty of evidence in favour of meditation practices. But, like ANY treatment, what works for someone some of the time, doesn’t work for everyone all of the time.
Thus, I’m offering alternatives. I’d hope people who work within in the mental health space would be open to exploring a range of alternatives.
Thankfully, there are plenty of options for those of us not keen on the judgement & unkindness that strangely so often comes from those in the mindfulness/meditation space – I do find that derision at odds with the practice itself (but as I’ve learned, not unexpected).
Calming the mind & relaxing the body calm is still a form of meditation so if the nature walks , reading and getting InTouch with your emotions is working for you keep doing it . its not one size fits all so keep exploring and thinking about activities that calm the mind and relax the body. In my personal experience its about labeling the activity and telling your self I’m finding this relaxing and a form of meditation
An honest article about someone who have given meditation a genuine go. I started reading this as a new teacher thinking about what could have occurred early in the authors experience to defuse the assumptions. Perhaps the feeling of stress was magnified by the assumption that calmness would be the focus. Perhaps feeling uncomfortable when sitting was seen as doing something wrong. When I read the line ‘It’s really hard to do’ I realised that meditation isn’t for everyone. I once read an interview with Jackie Chan when he was asked if he meditated and he simply replied ‘no’. He said that he always has to be moving to relax and to be calm so his training sessions are his nourishment. He said that he simply can’t sit still.
I found your article really interesting Sarah and certainly could resonate with some of your experiences. I agree I think trying to eliminate unwanted thoughts can make you feel worse so acknowledging that you have them and working to accept them and soften them could be helpful. It is normal for everyone to drift off and be distracted but to try and bring yourself back to your breath or an anchor thought can be beneficial.
I think your lovely ideas of walking in nature and reading a book are forms of mindfulness as you’re in the present and you are fully immersed in your activity. I think these forms of relaxation are beautiful and enriching.
Interested to read whole article as it conflicts completely with my ideas of meditation, as I can reflect myself how advantageous meditation is for me not only my inner peace but also keeping me physically fit and fine. Though, I agree that there is a huge struggle while sitting cross leg, close eyes and meditating in the expectation of reaching peace with calm mind. But, I accept that also as a manifestation of my thoughts and sensations and let it flow as it is with still body and it settle after few minutes but another moment arise and have to repeat same technique in a ongoing fashion. It is an inner struggle if you take this in that way but if you accept and try to be less reactive may help to reduce stress at least for me it works. But, I appreciate that may people had gone through similar negative results with meditation practice, suggesting we need to identify what suits our body and mind with several experiments as the author found walk-in or doing mindful activities are best for her. In my opinion it should be customise at the individual level, if works for certain group may not work for others same way. But enjoy reading to learn possible negative outcomes of meditation.
This is an insightful and helpful article for those who struggle with traditional meditation practices. Your personal experience with meditation and suggestions for alternative techniques are both relatable and practical. Thanks for posting your article, it’s really helpful. However, I also found this article on Meditation Garden, which is very helpful for anyone getting into meditation.
https://yourmentalhealthpal.com/meditation-garden/
I get what the author is saying in this article. Mindfulness was sold (I think that’s the most appropriate word) to her as a panacea. A panacea is a cure for all ills: mindfulness is not that. Meditation is not that. Nothing is that. There is a lot of snake oil salesman-type hype around meditation, and Botox, and that diabetes drug that causes weight loss, and wheat grass. Each is packaged as a kind of magic elixir for a particular or all problems. It is impossible not to be disappointed by the reality of meditation/mindfulness if you buy into this.
However, as someone who has been a columnist, this reads like a bit of a beat up. I’m sure the author did have issues with meditation, but I’m not convinced she hasn’t amplified these so as to make a good story; standard columnist practice. Otherwise, I find it hard to believe that someone with a background in neuroscience and journalism could be so blindsided when the reality of her meditation experience did not live up to the hype.
That said, she does make some good points. Mediation has to be about more than sitting still and following instructions. We, as meditation teachers (fingers crossed), owe it to those coming to our classes to make this very apparent as soon as possible: there is no doing it ‘right’ there is only doing it. Best teaching practice asks us to explore the needs of our students and to present options, ways of working, learning and practicing that allow them to bring meditative practice into their lives, rather than present meditation as a done deal they must adapt themselves to.
It is incumbent on us, also, to dispel hype and to create an atmosphere in which a person, like this author, who is having an absolute nightmare of a time can feel safe enough to say so, comfortable in the notion they will be listened to and their needs addressed. And, if after having those concerns and needs addressed the author still wants out, then so be it.
Finally, despite her disavowing meditation, it seems that the author has in fact discovered a meditative practice that works very well for her. Walking in nature, being curious about her emotions and finding time to relax and to nap sound like great ways to practice to me. If she runs any meditation classes that use these techniques – I’m in.
I have meditated consistently for 21 years and it is as natural to do it as it is to clean my teeth.
It is not meant to be easy and a lot perseverance, determination and love is required in order to become proficient.
We are a quick fix society and lose patience if success doesn’t happen quickly.
We also as a society crave pleasure and avoid pain. Meditation teaches you to be equanimous with whatever you are faced with in life whether it be pleasure or pain as neither are permanent.
This article is thought-provoking. Meditation teachers have the responsibility to provide proper guidance to individuals engaging in meditation practices. Everyone holds expectations for meditation, and it’s crucial to understand these expectations, exploring and developing personalized approaches for different individuals. There is no right or wrong method for meditation, nor is it a panacea. The key is to maintain an open mind, refrain from judgment, and discover the most effective meditation approach through practice. Although the author initially expressed opposition to meditation, in the end, she discovered a meditation practice that truly suits her and experienced the benefits of meditation. This is the essence of meditation.