Why meditation doesn’t work

written by Simone on Friday, October 23rd, 2009

From The Bible to The Secret  (not that I have put them in the same category) there is a huge breadth and depth of spiritual programs, people and practices teaching us how to live our best lives, be happier, more successful, fulfilled and realized.  Without fail, they mostly all tell us, usually in Chapter One, that we must include meditation as a foundational exercise in our lives. Yet we still are not convinced that outer transformation takes daily inner attention – daily work that no one can do for us except us. Listening, reading, watching or otherwise engaging in inspiring teachers or teachings is an outward endeavor. By only paying attention to those things that reside outside of ourselves; no matter how uplifting or ‘True’ our experience, it is not the inner attention or work required for real transformation.

Meditation is not relaxation, it is not visualization, and it is not making the mind blank or stopping the thoughts. Meditation is about gaining some control over our thoughts, or more precisely loosening the control our thoughts have over us, and being able to access the space between the thoughts and beyond. The resulting benefits range from increased feelings of relaxation and alertness, to decreased stress to more creativity, and a deeper connection to life; however, the practice of meditation is about attending to our inner world. And simply put, meditation doesn’t work because we don’t learn how to or practice paying attention inward. We don’t make meditation a foundation or priority in our lives.

Imagine telling your son or daughter who dream of becoming an accomplished pianist, “practice sometimes, take a class or two, or do a workshop once in awhile, maybe a piano retreat.”  Meditation takes patience, diligence and practice and like piano, we don’t play Mozart before we master ‘twinkle twinkle little star.’ We don’t because, besides the rare exception, we can’t and yet so many of us are frustrated and state “I can’t meditate” because ‘nothing happens’ day 1.

 Our true meditation is practiced throughout the day. Being completely present and aware in each moment, life is a meditation.  Yet without a foundation or touchstone practiced everyday the mind left to its own devices just won’t comply.  Look back at the spiritual or personal growth workshops, presentation and lectures we have attended in the past and remember how quickly the beautiful sense of peace or knowing or connection attained is replaced, sometimes within the drive home, with the exact same old state of mind, or thoughts and emotions we have always had, and their reflective realty in our lives, aka, our same experience of life.  Before we can make lasting change outwardly, we must have some understanding and relationship with our inner world. Daily meditation is simply a tool to ‘get us there.’