Common problems for beginning meditators
Everyone's experiences differ, but there are common issues that most meditators face. Understanding these probably won't prevent them from occurring, but may spare you the agony of thinking that you're the only person on the planet who's experienced them.
Being the Thought Police
Trying to block out thoughts is a bit like grabbing the garden hose and trying to extinguish the sun with it. Judging thoughts good or bad is a similarly futile and stressful endeavour. There will be thoughts running through your head in every meditation you have, and there will probably be more of them than you'd prefer. Peace comes through accepting them. Be curious and permissive, and remember, if you don't have a single thought during your meditation - you're probably dead.
- Expectations
Some people come to meditation hoping for out-of-body experiences and mystical revelations, or to have past lives revealed and to receive advice from spiritual guides. More often we have more subtle hopes and expectations. We want a 'good' meditation, a meditation like the one we had last week, or an effortless meditation. These desires ensure that we don't get what we want and prevent us from experiencing each moment as it is. A more useful strategy is to bring an attitude of acceptance to each moment — permitting everything; including aches and pains, discomfort, tension, unpleasant feelings and thoughts — to be a part of your meditation. - Beating up the self
At times, and particularly when we're learning something new, we have a tendency to believe that we're incapable. We try something once, fail, and decide that we simply don't have the necessary talent or ability to succeed. If this were the case then none of us would have learnt to walk. Remember this when you take your first steps along the meditators path. Each time you meditate you are taking a step towards forward. - Failing to give pain a chance to resolve
Meditation is blissful - right? Well, it can be, but rarely at the snap a finger. Much of the pain you'll experience during meditation is actually a sign that you are relaxing. If you go into the pain gently it usually diminishes and fades away quite rapidly. If you fight it, however, you'll add to the tension. It won't go away if you ignore it either - in fact, ignored pain is likely to manifest later, in a more serious form. - Still being the thought police!
In every course I conduct I stress to participants that it is not the aim in meditation to block out thoughts, nor make the mind go blank. Many people however, will comment months later that their mind still gets distracted by thought. It seems they'd assumed thoughts would vanish with practice! Yes, our compulsion to think does weaken over time, however, thoughts rarely disappear entirely for more than a moment. The real skill then, comes in accepting your thoughts, and learning from them. You can't do this unless you become aware of them.