Meditation is becoming more and more popular, but it is still a fairly new concept to many Western cultures. As a result, there is a great deal of confusion and misinformation around the principles of meditation. I hope these 5 myths and truths about meditation help to clarify and enhance your understanding of this incredible philosophy.
“THE PURPOSE OF MEDITATION IS TO CALM YOU DOWN” = MYTH
The aim of meditation techniques are not to calm someone down, but instead to expand the state of consciousness and increase the vitality of the brain. However, many do claim that they feel calmer after meditation, and this has more to do with their level of anxiety before meditating.
“MEDITATION IMPROVES YOUR DECISION-MAKING” = TRUTH
Regular meditation helps in establishing more mental clarity, greater insights and sharper intuition. Therefore, routinely practising meditation will guide you in making better decisions in life.
“AN UNINSTRUCTED PRACTITIONER CAN GET INTO A STATE OF SELF-HYPNOSIS” = TRUTH
Meditation “expands your consciousness”, it will never reduce it. If whilst you are practising meditation time passes and you do not realise anything happening, you may be in a state of self-hypnosis where consciousness is reduced. Hence, having an instructor can be of great benefit, as they usually know if hypnosis is happening and can advise you to use a different technique.
“PRACTISING BREATHWORK IS THE KEY TO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF MEDITATION” = TRUTH
You may not need to practise supportive techniques for your initial steps into meditation, but if you wish to evolve further then you will need to learn more techniques. These include breathwork, vocalisation of ultrasound and conscious relaxation.
“YOU CAN PRACTISE MEDITATION LAYING DOWN” = MYTH
Traditional methods of meditation (whatever the lineage) do not recommend the practitioner to lay down in order to meditate. Meditation is done sitting down, with your back straight and ideally legs crossed. Techniques that are recommended to do laying down include some breathwork and conscious relaxation.
Take your first steps into meditation and practice with us by joining our free online trial experience via the DeRose Meditation Platform.
“Seek within you, not in books” – DeRose.