The Myth Dispelled

Doesn’t it sound a bit daft to you that practicing meditation would leave you completely stress free, in perfect health and at peace with yourself and the world at every moment of the day? Believe it or not, that’s the uninformed expectation that many people have. Meditation is a journey. The experience and effects depend on your starting point.

Are you irritable, anxious, angry? Do you feel at odds with yourself or those around you? If so, then that’s your starting point. Meditation can be the key to unlocking and releasing the underlying causes of discomfort (dis-ease), but your starting point will determine how effectively it does so.

Often the practitioner is less aware of the effects than those around and is bemused by such comments as “You look well today” or “How come you’re in such a good mood?” The effects of meditation should be measured in months and years rather than days. It cultivates a settled mind and body, gradually siphoning off underlying tensions that are the root cause of so many psychosomatic disorders.

Another myth is the cult image. As with all social experiences there are extremists. A small minority, extreme in their views, become what many of us would see as “whacky,” immersed in an alternative lifestyle, detached and isolated. If you feel drawn to meditation but don’t like some of the packaging, then the advice is to accept the bits that appeal to you or find another technique.

Some meditation techniques are timeless. They’ve been around longer than anyone can recall. Traditionally, meditation is a path to an enlightened state where the practitioner finds peace and lives in harmony with nature. This is a laudable goal, worthy of anyone’s consideration. As such, meditation deserves closer scrutiny and a higher profile in society.

It’s a matter of personal choice, whether the practitioner uses it as stress management, or combines this with an interest in the underlying philosophy, comforted and nourished by the promise of improved quality of life - mentally/physically/spiritually.

A final myth is to do with money. Again, it comes down to personal choice. There are techniques that are offered without charge, but meditation teachers live in the same world as you, with the same bills to pay. Please consider this when pursuing an interest in what meditation has to offer. Some of us have invested a great deal of time and money to learn and teach the art of meditation.