MINDFUL MADNESS
Don’t Just Do Something; Sit There!
When Meditation Doesn’t Go as Planned
Meditation is difficult.
I have been meditating regularly for over two years. I was hoping for nirvana by now. I had aspirations of bidding farewell to the old, cantankerous incarnation of Rick. Nonetheless, he occasionally pokes his head out to blow a raspberry to the general populace. I was hoping for … more.
What, in the name of Thich Nhat Hanh, is the problem here?
The most obvious question is: Am I doing it wrong? According to the teachers, gurus, sages, mentors, swamis, wise men, oracles, yogis, and high spiritual pooh-bahs, I have found by way of Google, Yahoo, and Brother Rondo Dimbuckle’s Blogging for Jesus, there is no wrong way to do it.
Like meditation itself, that answer is both comforting and frustrating. Let us assume that I am doing it correctly. Is the problem with the practice I have chosen? Or do I need to hone and tweak my current method? Should I build a backyard pagoda?
What, in the name of Deepak Chopra, do I need to do?
First off, we have to acknowledge that for most people, meditation is both difficult and straightforward.