5 myths about meditation: debunked

An honest reflection

When I first came across the concept of meditation, I was blinded by the way how it looked. People sitting in nature, idyllic, super relaxed, everything calm, and silent. For the younger version of myself, who was constantly stressed and lost in the hustle and bustle, it was exactly what I was looking for. Something to soothe my body and mind.

But when I first sat down to meditate, it was nothing like what I expected. My thoughts ran wild, I was overwhelmed by body sensations, and I even had to cry. Instead of feeling relaxed, I felt even more stressed. However, afterwards, I kind of felt good. And it was exactly that after-meditation peace of mind that was so intriguing, and that kept drawing me back to the practice again and again.

After years of meditating regularly and educating myself on the topic, I’m now able to give you an honest reflection on the most common myths about meditation.

Myth #1: Meditation is about emptying the mind and stopping your thoughts

I think this is probably the most common misperception about meditation. Something I myself fell for in the beginning, and something that most people I’ve talked with are concerned about.

Being human, thoughts are simply part of our experience. There is no way we can get rid of our thoughts. What we can do, however, is realize that we are not our thoughts. A lot of people identify themselves with what they are thinking. For example, if you have a thought such as “I am not good enough”, you might believe it and not even try what you desire. But if you realize that this is just one of the thousands of thoughts you randomly have in a day, it won’t stop you so easily in your endeavors.

Instead, you practice presence. You recognize when you have a thought, and you observe it in a non-judgmental way. You let the thought pass by, and you come back to the present moment – to your anchor.

Myth #2: People who meditate are always peaceful and never have emotional outbursts

Would be nice, right? But no, meditating regularly does not mean you will be peaceful all the time. You still participate in life, and life can be crazy sometimes.

What it does do is make you more resilient, so you don’t react in melodramatic ways anymore when someone, for example, eats the last piece of cake. Other than that, mindful practices like meditation can help you build a healthy relationship with your feelings, and let you actually feel your feelings. So when someone disrespects your boundaries, you will still get angry – which is healthy – but you don’t get carried away by that anger. You are able to respond rather than react.

Myth #3: Meditation is only for people who seek spiritual enlightenment

In many traditions, spiritual enlightenment, or self-realization, is the ultimate goal and purpose of meditation. However, meditation is also practiced in a secular or clinical context because of its many benefits for the body and mind.

There are numerous studies that show the benefits of meditation on an emotional, mental and physical level. Meditation reduces cortisol – and thus stress – it reduces anxiety, improves focus and attention, enhances emotional resilience, and improves sleep quality and immune function, just to name a few. Some of these can be experienced almost immediately. However, meditation is not a quick fix. It requires you to show up on the mat on a regular basis.

Myth #4: It takes years to master the art of meditation

A lot of people I’ve talked to are intimidated to try meditation because they think their minds are too loud to sit with themselves in stillness. But that’s actually the point.

Meditation really is a practice. It’s allowed to be messy. The goal is not to have a perfect meditation, but to practice presence with whatever may arise – and that will be different every day. Sometimes it’s effortless, sometimes it’s almost impossible. After all, meditation reflects your whole life. How you slept, what you ate, what’s sitting on your mind, etc. They all play a role in how you experience your meditation.

So your meditation will be different every time, even if you meditate twice the same day. What matters is that you practice being in the present moment, and after some time, you’ll notice how you bring more and more of that presence into your daily life.

Myth #5: I don’t have time to meditate

Sorry, I have to call you out on that one. There’s an old Zen proverb for people who think they are too busy to meditate: “You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.”

Think of it like brushing your teeth. As a child, you learned that you have to do it twice a day to keep your teeth healthy. At first, it took reminders from your caregivers, but over time you integrated the practice, and it became an automatic routine.

The same applies to meditation. It’s important for your emotional, mental and even physical hygiene. Integrate into your daily routine and you won’t think whether you have time for it, you’ll just do it automatically.

Looking back, I wish someone had told the younger, stressed-out version of myself how messy this practice can be at times, and that I wasn’t doing it wrong because of that. Meditation is not about being perfect, but about showing up again and again, and learning to surf the waves.

If any of these myths have kept you from trying meditation, or from sticking with it, I hope this gave you a little more encouragement to just begin, exactly as you are.