Three Misconceptions about Meditation

This week we were fortunate to welcome back Susan Piver to Under 30 Night as our guest speaker. After opening up a discussion on how our practice is going for all of us (even those who started just 30 minutes before), we talked about:

Three Misconceptions about Meditation:

1. It makes you more peaceful. (It can make you more present and aware of your emotions no matter how positive or negative they appear to be.)
   
2. Your mind stops. (Meditation is 20% focus on your breathing, and 80% openness to what may arise internally and/or externally. Thoughts may come to you or noises may interrupt a silence, but the goal is to recognize them, letting them pass while you return to experiencing your breath.)
   
3. It makes you a better person. (It makes you more of who you already are.)

Many of us start meditating with certain goals or expectations in mind. This will only muddle and obscure the power and effect meditation can have on your life. We eventually learn to let go and see where it takes us.

We also discussed the Three Ways People Deal with Stress:

1. Attack and fight it
2. Try to make peace with it
3. Run away and avoid it

What were YOUR misconceptions about meditation before you started...or even right now? How has your opinion of meditation changed since you started?

How do YOU deal with stress? Are your stress management strategies working? How do you know? Do you think you can deal with it in a different way?

Despite the wind and rain, there were many newcomers this week and I hope you all enjoyed the night as much as I did! Hope to see you again on an upcoming Tuesday night.