Amit Ray, an Indian author and spiritual master, once said, “Suffering is due to our disconnection with the inner soul. Meditation is establishing that connection.”

Americans have really picked up on meditation over the last several years, as there are so many wonderful benefits that can be derived from this practice. If you’ve recently started meditation, you may find that it’s completely different than what you expected. Meditation takes time and practice, and you truly achieve some insightful transformations the more you practice it. Unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t fully aware of what meditation truly means – and there is a way to do this wrong! See if you fall victim to any of these common meditation blunders:

1. You approach meditation as a way to stop your thoughts. Meditation is more about accepting and observing your thoughts than about making them stop. Our thoughts are going to come and go as they please, but it’s up to us to watch them with curiosity and accept that they’re there rather than try to control them.
2. You force yourself to sit in uncomfortable positions, such as cross-legged and on a cushion. Meditation is about being present in the moment, and how can you possibly do this if you’re extremely uncomfortable, if your legs are falling asleep, or if you’re feeling antsy? You can technically practice meditation anywhere, and that includes more comfortable settings and positions that work for you.
3. You only meditate when your environment is quiet. Meditation is about finding peace and stillness within yourself, and this can be done in a quiet room just as it can be done in a loud concert. Try different settings to find your inner calmness at any time.
4. You enforce strict time limits on yourself when it comes to meditating. Most people try to achieve long periods of meditation, such as 30 minutes to an hour; while this can be beneficial, you never want to push yourself too much to where you feel that 5 minutes isn’t worthy any longer.
5. You hold high expectations for what meditation should provide you. The best approach you can ever have with meditation is to not have any expectations – you’re simply along for the ride.
6. You only allow yourself to practice meditation in complete silence. If closing your eyes and sitting still doesn’t work for you, try eating meditation, walking meditation, and more – there are other ways you can reap the benefits of this practice without forcing your mind and body to do something it simply doesn’t want to do.

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