Here is a meditation hack to improve your practice: Compassion

Many people struggle with “meditation”. Whether knowing where to start or “doing it properly,” there seems to be a cultural habit of “doing” our meditation practice using our mind; this is where the struggle resides.

Meditation is a natural state of Being, of Not Doing. It is a place where the body and mind can rest. In fact, the mind is not an active part of the meditation process. In this deep state of rest, similar to sleep, the mind relaxes its grip on our nervous system and let’s go of stress. The struggle is in our culture of rigidity and perfectionism of meditation, too many Have-to’s, or “Not doing it right”.

The salve to this rigidity is Compassion and Letting Go. This comes from our heart (not our mind). Compassion allows us to be gentle with and within our meditation practice. You cannot fail in any attempts to meditate. All meditations are good because, even if only for a small moment, you choose to allow yourself to Be and not Do. You chose to let go of some stress.

Can you witness when you are struggling within your meditation and then when you compassionately choose to let go and experience the freedom of simply being? Whether your meditation practice is using guided meditations on an app, sitting by a river and listening, or using a silent mantra, it will be more efficient, easier, and more enjoyable to use a compassionate heart to lead it.

There is an ancient Vedic metaphor for meditation – holding a rose. We cheat ourselves out of the most blissful experience when we grip the rose too tightly. The most gentle and compassionate way we can hold a rose allows us to enjoy the rose’s gifts of fragrance and beauty while embracing its wholeness – thorns, petals and all.

Simple tips for better meditation

Let Go of the struggle, of Trying, of Doing. Let go to Be in the moment.

Can you Trust that nature, in the restful state of meditation, is doing much better to remove stress than you could ever do yourself?

Be compassionate with yourself as you train your mind to allow nature and your heart to relax and heal you.

OBSERVE your ACTIVE life outside of your meditation practice (your INACTIVE time). This will indicate if your meditation practice is ideal for you at this time in your life. Do you feel rested?

In its simplest form, meditation is a natural waste-removal process ridding our body and mind of stress. But when meditation goes beyond healing the residue of stress and becomes a tool for maintaining well-being, then we can experience the bliss, fragrance, and beauty of life. Allow your compassionate heart to guide you there.

Carolyn Green is a holistic wellness consultant and teacher with expertise in Meditation, Ayurveda and Energy Work. Her goal is to be an empowering and inspiring guide for discovering your relationship with yourself, nature and beyond. For more questions about meditation and holistic well-being, contact her at carolyn@greenheartwisdom.com.