Since meditation has many forms – from mindfulness to visualisation to mantra – it follows, there are also many ways to meditate. I think this definition of “doing nothing” is held by people who have never tried – and use it as an excuse never to give it a go. My Meditation: Absolute Beginners Class takes people through many activities related to meditation and mindfulness. In fact, on the “What Is Meditation?” video, I define meditation as:
“A purposeful activity of at least three of the seven technologies of the mind that produce psychological change.”
I also go into what all that means, to give you a full understanding, but notice the definition states it is a purposeful activity. You must actively participate in your meditation – or you could very well be “doing nothing“.
Relaxation of the body and mind
Relaxation is typically a part of most meditations. It is OK to stop there – you have meditated. However, the relaxation part is usually the beginning of meditation practice. When teaching, I give the students a simple relaxation meditation on the very first day. It gets people quickly and easily into meditation while giving them the first skill to practise.
Having said the FIRST practice is to relax, there are many practices within meditation to explore. You do NOT need to learn them all. If relaxation suits your needs right now, this may be as much as you need.
See more myths via this page (link)
Next Steps
The quickest way to get beyond the myths is to join my easy but comprehensive courses. For instance, there is a video which takes you through the seven technologies of the mind that make up meditation to further your understanding.
Oh, and the video is FREE via the app, Meditation & Wellbeing – MT.sbs
The next post is on another myth of meditation – gosh, there are so many.
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