Meditation is not easy. If it were, there would be no reason to commit to the practice. Yet too often, we are prone to running away from the difficult, seeing the obstacles ahead as too daunting to overcome.There are five main obstacles that most frequently arise for beginners. Since conquering these obstacles is part of the process of learning how to meditate, we should welcome them with open arms. This guide will help you recognize and address some of the most common obstacles you may have. These obstacles are sleepiness, restlessness, distractedness, anxiousness, and negligence.

Sleepiness

It is easy for the beginner to mistake meditation for nap time, since meditation can be so relaxing for some. In the digital age, it is unheard of to sit for ten minutes without stimuli, let alone to do it deliberately. So, when given time to relax, the sleepy meditator cannot stay conscious. They finish the practice relaxed but discouraged and may not think that they successfully completed their meditation. However, it is perfectly okay to become sleepy during your first few meditations, since learning how to overcome sleepiness is part of the process of learning how to meditate.

If you’re having trouble staying awake while meditating, consider changing some variables about your environment, such as lighting, time of day, and your posture. If you are trying meditation at night, for instance, you are likely inducing similar feelings to those when you fall asleep. Instead, try meditating earlier in the day, perhaps in the morning or at a time when you feel awake. Regardless of when you meditate, it is also important to meditate in a well lit room and to sit up straight, either in a chair or on the ground, in order to help induce focus.

Restlessness

In contrast to the sleepy meditator, who is too relaxed, the restless meditator is too impatient and cannot wait for the practice to be over. The restless meditator has a tough time with meditation because it is so unusual to sit still in today’s digital age; whether we know it or not, our minds receive so much stimuli throughout the day that meditation can feel like withdrawal to the untrained mind. The restless meditator may not take any time to decelerate besides their meditation, which can make it quite difficult to relax during this time. So the restless meditator sits impatiently, counting the minutes until they can return to their thoughts and to other pleasures. In doing so, they can miss the benefits of the practice.

For this meditator, the goal is not to rid one’s self of these mental states but rather to recognize them and embrace them. Eventually, the feeling will pass, and they will achieve relaxation. To help illustrate this point, consider what it is like to shake a snow globe. When shaken, the snow globe becomes hazy and you cannot see the image inside of it. And of course, the snow will never settle if you continue to shake it. But let it settle, and you will see its beautiful image once again. Like the snow globe, we must be willing to take time for ourselves in order to decompress, and the more we shake ourselves up, the more we must time we must be willing to take. Use this metaphor as a reminder to never stop a meditation early because you are feeling restless. In fact, the meditations in which you are feeling the restless are arguably the most important. If you persist through these meditations, you will likely find that they are more fulfilling than the meditations in which you are feeling calm throughout the exercise.

Distractedness

When meditating, one’s primary goal should be to focus on the breath. The wanderer either cannot achieve the proper level of focus or is unwilling to do so. Naturally, thoughts move mindlessly in and out of their head, and they consequently do not finish the meditation with a clear mind.

When meditating, and in general, thoughts are inevitable. Therefore, our intentions should not be to merely focus on the breath, but rather to recognize the moments in which we lose focus and to consequently return our focus to our breath. If we do not have this type of intentionality, meditation is merely a form of relaxation. The wanderer, who is unintentional with their practice, is thus daydreaming rather than meditating

There are several tactics that you can use to better gather your attention towards your breath. First, you can try to focus on your breath from the start of your in-breath to the end of your out-breath. You can make this easier by placing a hand on your stomach or chest in order to better feel the rising and falling of your breath. Lastly, you can try counting your breaths from one to ten throughout the meditation.

But most importantly, it is important to practice bringing the attention back to the breath. When meditating do not be discouraged if you find yourself distracted, but instead merely bring your attention back to your breath. This is arguably the most important part of the practice; the experienced meditator will be able to bring their attention back to their breath throughout the day, whenever they find themselves lost in thought. Do not undermine the importance of this skill; it will become incredibly useful as you get better at noticing your distraction. But, as with learning any skill, one can only improve with practice.

Anxiousness

One may be scared away from meditation because they are forced to face their anxious thoughts. This is not unusual; we often move so fast that we do not have time to address our insecurities, our doubts, or our fears. So when we finally stop to meditate we may be bombarded with the thoughts that we have repressed for so long. Unfortunately, these buried thoughts can scare many beginners away from the practice.

The anxious meditator should not be deterred by his struggles, for meditation is hard for a reason. As you become better at the practice, you will find not only that meditation becomes easier but also that you are better are recognizing your negative thoughts throughout the day.

As I mentioned in the above section, the focus of meditation is to return to the breath when you are distracted and to recognize the distraction. But moreover, you should note the thought; a thought. If a fear pops into your head while you are meditating, categorize it as a thought or distraction and try to return your focus to the breath.

Negligence

The worst obstacle to meditation is to avoid meditation altogether. Meditation, when properly practiced, can fundamentally rewire your brain in order to make you happier, more focused, and more present-minded. As the saying goes, “The worst workout is the one that never happened.” Meditation is the best workout you can give your mind — so if you’re the type of person that would never skip a day of training at the gym, why would you skip a day training your mind?

Pushing Forward

Each of the obstacles mentioned above can be discouraging, but setbacks are just as important as breakthroughs. Each one of these obstacles will inevitably arise at some point as you meditate more, so it is important to recognize what the issue may look like. But no worries — I assure you that the process is well worth it.

Good luck moving forward — remember to never stop, no matter how many obstacles you may find in your way!