Over the last 15 or so years meditation has become extremely mainstream. Everyone from A-list celebrities, to magazines, apps and your mum are talking about meditation or practicing meditation.
However there is one question I have noticed pop up the most over the years, and that is people expressing how hard they find meditation. Not just finding the motivation to do it, or the time to do it, but the physical thing itself, they seem to struggle with.
So why is something so simple, and so easy, causing people so much struggle?
This article goes deeper into the complexities of meditation, debunking myths, and offering practical advice to make meditation a more accessible and rewarding part of your daily routine.
How Do I Overcome Meditation Problems?
As someone who has been meditating for 13 years, I have the clarity, understanding and experience to help you out.
Throughout this article I will be referring to Natural Meditation, the meditation that I see as the most real, simple and easiest meditation to use.
Overcoming meditation challenges begins with understanding that meditation doesn’t have to be perfect or follow rigid rules. Here’s how to address common issues:
Why do I feel like I’m not doing it right?
Feeling uncertain about your meditation often stems from the misconception that there’s a “right” way to meditate. Natural meditation is about reconnecting with your body’s natural sensations, by sitting physically still and feeling whatever is going on for you in that moment.
The idea that you need to be doing it a certain way, or achieving a certain result is something that has come from technique based meditations, like mindfulness. There is nothing you need to achieve in your meditation, while you’re sitting there, stay with the feeling that you’re not doing something right, and let that feeling burn out as you sit there, knowing you’re not doing anything wrong.
How do I find time to meditate regularly?
Integrating meditation into your daily routine doesn’t require large blocks of time. Meditation can be done in brief moments throughout your day. Acknowledge that even a few minutes of reconnecting with your body’s sensations can help you heal. Start with just five minutes a day and gradually increase the duration. Schedule it into your day as you would any important appointment. Consider meditating first thing in the morning or right before bed to integrate it into your routine seamlessly.
What can I do to stay motivated to meditate consistently?
Motivation will fluctuate naturally depending on what you’re dealing with in your life. I would highly encourage you to meditate every day, setting a time or place where you can meditate and no matter how you’re feeling, just sit down. Even if it’s only for ten minutes, and if you’re not feeling motivated to meditate then let that feeling be a part of what you feel as you sit there.
And the longer you sit with that feeling, the sooner you’ll burn it out and find out what’s behind it, what’s causing you to not want to meditate, and what you are avoiding.
As you meditate you’ll start to experience the many benefits of meditation, the deeper you go with your meditation, the more connected you become with yourself, having no motivation will not be an issue.
You will start to experience how connecting with your body’s sensations and thoughts improves your mental fitness and overall well-being. This deeper understanding and the positive changes you observe will naturally motivate you to maintain a consistent practice.
Why do I get bored or restless during meditation?
If you’re feeling bored or restless during your meditation, this is just a sign that there is something you’re coming up against in yourself, whether it is a certain pain, trauma or just something you don’t want to face, these feelings need to be felt like any other.
Rather than viewing these feelings as obstacles, see them as integral to your meditation. Feel them without acting on them. If you start to feel the urge to move around, or your thoughts start to wander, just keep coming back to the feeling in your body.
There isn’t anything wrong with feeling this way, so don’t judge it or try to change it, it’s all part of your meditation process. The longer you sit with the restlessness or boredom, the deeper you go, allowing you to understand and get in contact with and so eventually resolve the underlying causes behind the feelings.
How can I stop my mind from wandering during meditation?
In natural meditation, thoughts are not actually a problem. They are a part of the process, especially as a beginner. When you find your thoughts wandering, don’t try to stop them, or worry about them, this will just get you caught in them. Instead come back to the feeling in your body, the feeling behind the thoughts. Do this every time you find your thoughts wandering.
What do I do when I feel discomfort or pain during meditation?
Discomfort or pain that arises during natural meditation is very common, and usually a signal from your body that needs attention, not suppressed. First understand that these pains are healing pains, they’re not harming you in any way.
A lot of the traumatic experiences that we go through in life (whether they are big or small) can leave an effect within our body if they are not fully healed. When we sit physically still, as we do during meditation, we are allowing those experiences to reveal themselves. And each experience may express itself as different pains or discomforts throughout our bodies.
Just stay physically still with these feelings, and don’t try to work out what they are, where they came from or try to get rid of them. They are healing you, not harming you. They will resolve in their own time, if you give them the time to heal in meditation.
So feel these sensations as part of yourself. By allowing your body to process them, you’re activating a deeper healing process, helping connect you with the root causes of discomfort and heal them.
How can I manage feelings of impatience or frustration?
Impatience and frustration are natural emotions that arise during meditation. Instead of fighting these feelings, recognize them as part of your body’s communication. Allow yourself to experience them fully and understand their origins. This process engages your natural intelligence and transforms impatience and frustration into opportunities for deeper self-understanding.
Will meditation really help me reduce stress and anxiety?
Natural meditation helps reduce stress and anxiety by reconnecting you with your body’s sensations and understanding your thoughts. This holistic natural meditation approach activates your self-healing processes, leading to a more balanced and healthier state of being. Over time, this approach helps you manage stress and anxiety more effectively by addressing their root causes.
What should I do if I fall asleep during meditation?
Falling asleep during meditation might be an indication that your body needs some rest. You can adjust your routine to stay more engaged with your sensations. The other reason for tiredness can be an avoidance of the pain, or disturbances you’re sitting with in meditation.
You can try meditating in the morning after you wake up fresh. Sit in a position that keeps you alert but still, you can also meditate with your eyes open, if this helps you stay awake and continue to feel the natural sensations in your body. But make sure you’re treating tiredness as any other feeling, and just feel it during your meditation.
Treat the tiredness as just another feeling, and stay with it for as long as you can. If you’re really tired make sure you have a rest.
How do I handle negative thoughts and emotions that come up?
Negative thoughts and emotions are a natural part of your meditation process.
The negative thoughts will arise as you sit with and process different pains, distresses and feelings. The key is to not worry about them, or try to change or stop them. Instead just come back to the feeling in your body, and stay with that. Just let them go on in the background.
If any negative feelings come up, just feel them in your body without trying to suppress or change them. There is nothing wrong with them, in fact just feeling them as they are,will help you understand and connect with these feelings, activating your body’s natural function to address and heal the underlying distresses behind them.
How do I deal with resistance to meditation itself?
Resistance to meditation is a common experience. But it’s the days that you don’t want to meditate that I really encourage you to meditate.
Mainly because there is a reason behind that resistance, it’ll be something you’re coming up against in yourself, a pain, distress or trauma you don’t want to face.
So feel that resistance wherever it is in your body, and make that your meditation for that day. And just sit with it for as long as you can.
If you’re having too much trouble with the resistance, don’t give up, try using a guided meditation to help you along.
There is actually a guided meditation on resistance in the Undo Meditation App, if you would like to check it out.
Can meditation help with sleep issues and insomnia?
Meditation can help in improving sleep and managing insomnia by reconnecting you with your body’s natural rhythms. By understanding and addressing the underlying causes of sleep disturbances through meditation, you will become more mentally fit, leading to better sleep patterns and overall well-being.
How do I integrate meditation into a busy or chaotic lifestyle?
Integrating meditation into a busy lifestyle involves finding a few minutes daily throughout your day to reconnect with yourself. This will help you consistently connect with your inner self and feel the natural sensations within your body. This ensures that meditation becomes a practical and sustainable part of your daily life, supporting your overall mental fitness and well-being.
The Challenge of Sitting With Yourself
I would say the biggest challenge people have with meditation is simply just sitting still with themselves.
So here are a few commonly asked questions to help with any struggles you have just sitting with yourself.
Why do I get bored or restless during meditation?
If you’re feeling bored or restless during your meditation, this is just a sign that there is something you’re coming up against in yourself, whether it is a certain pain, trauma or just something you don’t want to face, these feelings need to be felt like any other.
Restlessness and discomfort are signs of your body communicating its needs. Rather than viewing these feelings as obstacles, see them as integral to your meditation. Feel them without acting on them, if you start to feel the urge to move around, or your thoughts start to wonder, just keep coming back to the feeling in your body.
There isn’t anything wrong with feeling this way, so don’t judge it or try to change it, it’s all part of your meditation process. The longer you sit with the restlessness or boredom, the deeper you go, allowing you to understand and get in contact with and so eventually resolve the underlying causes behind the feelings.
Accept them without judgment and feel your way through them. This process helps you to stop harming yourself by suppressing discomfort and instead allows you to understand and address the underlying causes.
How can I stop my mind from wandering during meditation?
In natural meditation, thoughts are not actually a problem, a they’re a part of the process, especially as a beginner. When you find your thoughts wandering, don’t try to stop them, or worry about them, this will just get you caught in them.
Instead come back to the feeling in your body, the feeling behind the thoughts. Do this every time you find your thoughts wandering. it’s important to recognize that wandering thoughts are part of the process especially if you are a beginner.
Instead of trying to think, start to feel the sensations naturally within your body. By listening to your body, you engage your inner self, which helps integrate your body with your mind.
How to Approach Meditation with Ease?
The biggest motivational killer for meditation is the idea that you need to be achieving something, or reaching some goal.
You need to drop these ideas as they can block you from actually resolving any issues, pains or distresses that come up for your during your meditation.
Avoid beginning your meditation with an intention, goal or idea of how you want your meditation to go or what you want to achieve from your meditation. This can block what you actually need to resolve, and keep you disconnected and dissociated from your body into thoughts and ideas.
Instead, take the pressure off, sit down and feel whatever arises from within you.
Some days it may be nothing, while others, it may be too much. Either way whatever is coming up for you is what you need to feel and resolve that day.
Meditation is far easier when you take away the harsh discipline and just relax into the physical feeling of your body.
Remember meditation isn’t a linear process. Some days will be challenging, while others will be easier. It’s natural for your meditation experience to vary based on what you’re going through each day.
Why do I get bored or restless during meditation?
If you’re feeling bored or restless during your meditation, this is just a sign that there is something you’re coming up against in yourself, whether it is a certain pain, trauma or just something you don’t want to face, these feelings need to be felt like any other.
Restlessness and discomfort are signs of your body communicating its needs. Rather than viewing these feelings as obstacles, see them as integral to your meditation. Feel them without acting on them, if you start to feel the urge to move around, or your thoughts start to wonder, just keep coming back to the feeling in your body.
There isn’t anything wrong with feeling this way, so don’t judge it or try to change it, it’s all part of your meditation process. The longer you sit with the restlessness or boredom, the deeper you go, allowing you to understand and get in contact with and so eventually resolve the underlying causes behind the feelings.
Accept them without judgment and feel your way through them. This process helps you to stop harming yourself by suppressing discomfort and instead allows you to understand and address the underlying causes.
Competing Demands and Time Management
Meditation can sometimes feel unproductive or dull, leading to procrastination or resistance. This often stems from the misconception that relaxation must involve activity or entertainment.
However, meditation’s true power lies in its consistency and the ability to reconnect with yourself. Here’s how to manage time effectively and overcome common challenges:
1. Prioritize Consistency Over Duration
The key to reaping the benefits of meditation is regular practice, not the length of each session. Even 10 minutes a day can have a profound impact on your mental well-being and overall outlook. Start small and gradually build your practice.
2. Create a Routine
Establishing a specific time and place for meditation helps develop a consistent habit. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or before bed, a routine increases the likelihood of sticking to your practice.
3. Use Guided Meditations
For beginners, guided meditations (via apps or YouTube) can be incredibly helpful. They provide structure, prevent distractions, and help you stay focused, especially when boredom or restlessness arises.
4. Embrace Boredom as Part of the Process
Boredom during meditation is natural and often a sign of deeper emotions needing attention. Instead of distracting yourself, sit with the feeling and explore it. It may evolve into fear, sadness, or another emotion—this is part of the healing process.
5. Avoid the Trap of Productivity
Meditation isn’t about achieving something or being productive. It’s about being present with whatever arises. Let go of the need to “do” and focus on simply “being.”
6. Make Time, No Matter How Busy You Are
Even in a chaotic schedule, 10 minutes a day is manageable. Treat meditation as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself. Over time, this small investment will yield significant benefits.
7. Understand the Role of Feelings
Every feeling that arises during meditation—boredom, restlessness, frustration—is part of the process. These emotions are signals from your body, inviting you to explore and resolve underlying issues.
Misinformation and Misconceptions About Meditation
One prevalent misconception about meditation is the notion that it requires you to ’empty your mind’ or ‘eliminate your thoughts’. This is often promoted by technique-based practices such as mindfulness.
These very techniques, proposed as tools to rid oneself of thoughts, paradoxically keep you entangled in a constant cycle of pondering over your thoughts in an attempt to eliminate them.
However, the act of thinking is not something you need to get rid of or escape from. Your thoughts are part of your meditation. They serve as the outward expression of whatever you are processing during your meditation. Fixating on eliminating them, or feeling frustrated when you catch yourself thinking, simply ensnares you further in this thought process.
Instead, just come back to the feeling that underpins these thoughts. By staying with this feeling, your thoughts naturally fade into the background. If you find yourself entangled in thoughts again, simply return to the feeling in your body.
Drop the pressure of trying to get rid of your thoughts, and just allow yourself to feel, feel whatever is coming up for you during your meditation.
Overcoming Barriers and Resistance to Meditation
During meditation you can sit with any feelings of resistance to meditation. Just hold the feeling of the resistance you have and allow yourself to go deeper and underneath the surface barriers. The longer you sit with the feeling of resistance, the deeper you’ll go, the more of the feeling you’ll resolve.
There will be a reason behind the resistance, or any barriers you have towards meditation. The only way to resolve these barriers is to meditate, and feeling them to their end.
This may take many times, or you may resolve it the first time you sit down. But you need to take the time and interest in yourself to sit down with these feelings.
This will help with the understanding of why they are there, and if there is anything else driving them from the depths of you. Meditating with the feeling of resistance will also allow you to burn out that resistance each and every time. There could be just the one layer, or there could be a few layers to burn through.
What Are the Benefits of meditation?
Meditation is a powerful practice that allows you to reconnect with yourself, process life’s challenges, and release stored stress. Here are the key benefits of regular meditation:
1. Deep Relaxation and Self-Connection:
Meditation helps you relax and sink deeper into yourself, allowing you to notice physical sensations and let thoughts fade into the background. This natural process slows down mental chatter and brings clarity.
2. Better Focus:
As you meditate more, your thinking becomes clearer and sharper. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of your thoughts and emotions, enabling you to approach life with greater awareness.
3. Improved Wellbeing and Emotional Balance:
Meditation fosters a sense of wellbeing by reconnecting you with your natural state. It helps you see reality as it is, free from external influences, and reduces stress by resolving it internally rather than accumulating it.
4. Better Problem-Solving and Resilience:
Regular meditation enhances your ability to handle life’s challenges. You’ll learn to release the effects of problems, respond more effectively, and move forward with greater ease.
5. Physical Healing and Strengthened Immunity:
Meditation supports your body’s natural healing processes, helping to recover from injuries, illnesses, and allergies. It also stabilizes your body’s response to the stresses of modern life.
6. Self-Awareness and Inner Transformation:
The changes from meditation are deeply personal and transformative. You’ll feel and understand this change from within, without needing external validation or analysis.
7. Stress Resolution and Emotional Release:
Meditation helps you process and release stress rather than storing it. This leads to a more balanced, calm, and resilient mindset.
Final Words
Meditation can look challenging for many. However, these challenges often stem from misconceptions and external influences that hinder our natural ability to connect with ourselves. With natural meditation, we move our focus from spiritual techniques and expectations to a more body-first approach. This perspective allows us to reconnect with our body’s sensations, understand our thoughts, and activate our self-healing processes.
It is never about achieving a specific state or eliminating thoughts. It is about experiencing and understanding whatever arises within us. Whether it is restlessness, discomfort, negative emotions, or resistance, these are all part of the path to deeper self-understanding and healing.
Success Story
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