New to mindfulness - how to overcome common challenges
Our wonderful instructor Stani has written this wonderful blog, have a read!
I have been practising mindfulness for a long time and for me it is a part of my life but I still remember how challenging I found it when I first started. At the time I struggled with anxiety and practising mindfulness was the only thing that really helped me so I was determined to keep going with it but it felt like a chore, for quite some time. Something I needed to do in order to keep my anxiety at bay.
And this seems to be the case for a lot of other people, plus combined with some misconceptions about mindfulness, it can be really off-putting and as a result, you might think mindfulness is not for you. This is why I wanted to address the most common challenges I have come across and hopefully convince you to start or keep practising. I think learning mindfulness is the best gift anyone could give to themselves.
So, here are the common challenges I chose to focus on but of course I am sure there are a lot more out there:
I can’t sit still – I know, this is not easy, so if you find it difficult to sit still for 15 min why don’t you do 5 min to start with and then gradually build on it. Also, you might choose to do mindful movements instead, which is a moving meditation so you won’t have to sit still; or perhaps practice mindful walking. There are lots of different meditations so finding the right one for you is the key. But also, if you do decide to practise sitting down, make sure you choose a comfortable position where your back is fully supported (meditating cross-legged on the floor is a misconception). And if not fully comfortable you can move during meditation rather than be rigid the whole time.
I am not doing it right; my mind keeps wondering– First of all, let me reassure you that there is no way you are doing it wrong because mindfulness is being aware of your experience at any given time. So, this by default means that your experience is going to be different from anybody’s else but there are no guidelines of what that would be so there is no right or wrong way to practice. As to your mind wondering, yes, I am afraid, this is what happens when we slow down. We start noticing just how many thoughts our mind produces, which is totally normal. You may be dismayed at first but with practice you learn to look at your thoughts, realising they are just mental events produced by our minds, more like passing clouds in the sky. The moment you notice that your mind has wondered is a moment of mindfulness. And then you let go of the thought and come back to the breath and like this hundred more times 😊
I don’t have enough time – This always come up but I see it more like an excuse rather than a real reason not to practice. I have two small children and I still find time to practice when they go to bed. The best way to go about it is to build in that 10-15 min in your schedule when you are most likely to do it. For some, it is the first thing in the morning, or in the evening after work, or after putting children to bed. It doesn’t take much and the minute you see it as part of your routine, you are most likely to stick to it.
Focusing on my breath makes me anxious – This has actually happened to me for quite some time when I started doing mindfulness meditations. For people with anxiety, focusing on the breath is not always recommended because you might start altering it, or forcing it and as a result feel more anxious. But there are a lot of other mindfulness meditations you could do instead – such as Listening to Sounds, Body Scan, Mindful Movements, Mindful Walking or Eating or simply looking in the sky for 10 min every day. You just need to find the right meditation for you.
One thing I can promise you is that mindfulness really does work but it is demanding and you need to find the right practices/time/teacher for you. Don’t give up as it really gets better with practice and will significantly reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
If you want to learn more about mindfulness or attend one of our courses or classes, get in touch!
To find out more about Stani click here - mindfulnesswithstani.com