There are many reasons that people find it hard to meditate.
Many people sit down to meditate , but find it difficult to do so, because either they don't prepare themselves enough, or they don't really know what's it all about.
Some difficulties during meditation are
Mind goes chattering
This is probably the most common challenge people have with meditation. Their mind keep on chattering while they do meditation
The key is to stop resisting thoughts and trying to make them go away. Thoughts are a part of meditation. They are a natural activity in the mind. Thoughts will come, our effort is not to eliminate them but to become aware of silence that present in the mind along with the thoughts. When we stop resisting what is naturally happening, we experience calmness and peace.
The mind in meditation can be compared to a jar of muddy water, the more we leave the water without interfering or stirring it, the more the particles will sink to the bottom, letting the natural clarity of the mind shine through. So take care not to impose anything on the mind. When you meditate there should be no effort to control, and to resistance.
Body becomes restless and back becomes sore -
In our daily life we are busy with our work and life routine. When we are busy we realize that we have less thoughts, but when we try to meditate and sit silently we find out that our mind is more busy then before. It is because in daily life our attention is on doing our work, and we feel there are lesser thoughts, but when we sit and meditate we find out there are more thoughts are coming then before. It is natural process. If we are not bothered by thoughts, still continue our meditation we will find out that they will soon settle down and you can experience silence and peace within yourself.
Our restlessness is like, when we sit to meditate, it's as if we've spent the day in a moving car, Once we stop and rest, it feels as if our body is still moving. It takes time for the body to settle down and feel at rest.
Lack of preparation
For a beginner sometime it is difficult to sit for long time this is due to lack of preparation of the body and mind. In order to sit for long duration of time is advisable to try dynamic kind of meditation rather then trying to do passive kind of meditation. Dynamic meditation are design in such a way after practicing for a while , it is very easy to enter in to passive kind of meditation and experience peace and joy.
Expectations are too much
If you think mediation is like "instant noodles" means "instant peace" then you are wrong. If you think if you meditate and clear all the chattering of the mind in one time, then you are wrong . It takes time go achieve state of inner peace. It takes practice and patience to meditate. If you expectation are too high then you may feel frustration or disappointment. So in order to have no disappointment it is advisable to have less expectation.
Meditation will cure all diseases
The state of meditation does not mean you will be full of loving thoughts in one or two times of meditation, then you are wrong. If you hope meditation will cure incurable diseases in weeks to come, again you are wrong. The first thing about meditation is that you should not have any expectations. Every person comes with a different mind set when starting meditation. Every persons background is different. One person may achieve peace more easily then other, it all depends on each person level of awareness. If a person is more aware he or she more easily enter in to meditation. Each person is unique and have his or her own growth process. There shall be doubts and confusions, all of which will be solved by practice and dedication in time.
Which method is best suited to me ?
There are plenty of methods some for beginners, some for experienced, some for intellectual, some for devotional or mystical kind of person. So the only way to find out the best method suited to you, is to try a method which is easy to learn, easy to do, easy to practice without any effort.
you may choose meditation depending on your lifestyle, your ability and your need. If one method suite you, continue practice till you find that you are no longer enjoying doing it. At that moment you can find another method to suit your need and desire. The trial and error method of choosing meditation has done no harm and you can go ahead and find out for yourself what suits you best.
Intense restlessness in mind
Meditating is like shifting gears in a car -- when you meditate you shift gear into neutral and the engine takes a while to slow down and come to idle. So continue meditating, allowing yourself to be aware of the sensation of restlessness in the body. You can continue with the meditation practice, such as watching the breath, or if the restlessness is extremely intense you can give your attention fully to the sensation of restlessness. Notice exactly how it feels in your body -- where you feel it, and what the sensation is like. As you allow yourself to experience the restlessness, it will eventually settle down.
Being uncomfortable with our feelings
Sometimes during meditation, we may be uncomfortable with some of the intense feelings that arise. This may take the form of a strong emotions or a physical sensation in the body. When the mind is not wandering outside , then mind focused on our feelings, we can become aware of feelings that have been under the surface. You may feel tempted to stop meditating, or start to resist these feelings, making meditation a struggle. Key to this particular point is to learn to stop resisting certain feelings and be present to "what is". Thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations come and go continuously in the natural flow of life. Left to flow by themselves, they will pass through. Simply allow these feelings to be present, not trying to push them out, but also not interfere, and do not caught up following the mind's stories about them.
If an emotion is so strong that it's overpowering
If an emotion is so strong that it's overpowering, allow the awareness to be easily with that emotion. Notice its location in the body, and let the awareness be with the physical sensations associated with the emotion, until the emotion diminishes. Let go of the meaning the mind gives to the emotion.
Sometime in meditation, it happens that some repressed memory from the past come on surface , it only remind us to realize that particular emotion and want to teach us something to change in our life. It may want us to notice this intense emotion. It is advisable to continue meditation without break, if still you can not bear in that case, it may be helpful to get some support, such as counseling to help deal with the issues that arise.
Disappointment that "good experiences" aren't always there
Every time we meditate our experiences will be different, depending on our ever-changing physical and emotional states, as well as life circumstances. It is important to understand that our experiences will change, as we will tend to form expectations based on our previous experience. But everytime you meditate your experience will be different. So it is advisable not to expect same experience all the time. We like some meditative experiences better than others, and may feel disappointed if we meditate and don't have those experiences.
There are no good or bad experiences in meditation. There is no right or wrong way to feel. Meditation is about "letting go" and trusting the natural flow of life. It is important to remember that the goal of these meditations is not to have special experiences, but to become more at ease with whatever arises. By meditating regularly and following these guidelines, ease in meditation will grow and this will translate into greater ease in living -- the ability to flow with whatever life brings.
FURTHER HELP IN MEDITATION
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Meditation: The First and Last Freedom
Meditation for Busy People: Stress-Beating Strategies for People with No Time to Meditate
The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within
Meditation for Beginners
Intimacy: Trusting Oneself and the Other
The Path of Yoga: Discovering the Essence and Origin of Yoga (OSHO Classics)
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