10 Common Mistakes that Cause Mindfulness Practice to Fail


10 Common Mistakes that Cause Mindfulness Practice to Fail
Follow these easy steps on how to meditate, even when you're busy!

1) I don't have time. People are busy these days. And, at first, many people feel that mindfulness is a waste of time and they should use the time to get other stuff done.






4). I don't know how to do it right, so it won't help. There is no one right way to practice mindfulness. Experiment and find the ways that work best for you and that you feel confident doing. Listen to a few different guided imagery CDs or attend a meditation class to get a sense of how to practice. Click here for a Mindfulness Toolkit CD full of guided practical mindfulness skills.

5). This doesn't work for me. People often say, "I've tried this before and it doesn't work for me." There are so many different ways to practice mindfulness it is highly unlikely that there aren't some that work for you.  The only mindfulness technique many people have heard of is formal sitting meditation. They may have attempted to sit still for 20 minutes without thinking about anything and found this intolerable. That's okay.  There are many other options. Keep trying until you find some that suit you. Start small and work up. Click here to learn lots of different mindfulness skills.

6). I fell asleep. You may find that you fall asleep when you meditate. If you are exhausted, sleep-deprived, and running on empty, it's no surprise that if you sit quietly for a few minutes and start to relax, you fall asleep.  There are several ways to approach this. First, address why you are so tired and find ways to reduce your fatigue. This might include everything from improving your sleep hygiene to allowing yourself to take a nap. The second way to approach this is to accept that it's okay to sleep; if you are that tired, then sleep is probably what you need most. This takes the pressure off and, as you address your sleep deficit, you gradually become more able to stay awake. The third approach is to make a commitment to staying awake while you meditate. Perhaps you could do a walking meditation instead of a sitting meditation so you don't fall asleep. Maybe you could choose a position that doesn't support sleeping such as kneeling or sitting on a chair with no back. Perhaps you can choose a time to meditate when you are not so tired. 





My intensive three-part telesetraining Mindfulness-Basics and Beyond will give you new mindfulness skills and strengthen those you already have. Make your life work better today.

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This article was originally published at . Reprinted with permission.
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