About to give up on Meditation? Think Again! 5 Common Mistakes beginners make + How to fix them!

If you’re anything like me, when I began my meditation practice, I felt a bit clueless. I would sit down, cross my legs and try to “clear my mind completely.” This use to frustrate me because the more I tried, the more thoughts seemed to appear. Without a guide to help me out, I just thought I was doing it all wrong because I clearly wasn’t feeling the “meditation high” I had heard so much about. After almost five years from my initial meditation attempts, I realize now, where I was dropping the ball. These five common mistakes are so easy to fix and once corrected, you will begin your meditation practice with ease.

5 Common Mistakes Beginners do in Meditation

1. Having expectations of how it’s “supposed” to be:

We initially hear we need to remove our thoughts completely, relax, focus on our breath and then magically we will feel amazing. The thing is, expectation kills all possibilities. The fear of doing it wrong, the fear of wasting our time and the fear of the fear are all ways in which we keep ourselves tied to the mind chatter.

SOLUTION: Accept everything as is. Go into the meditation understanding there’s NO way of doing it wrong. Sit down and feel your body. Feel the air come in and out. Allow thoughts to come in and out of your mind and just focus on observing them instead of resisting them. There’s no need to be doing it in any particular way. No way to go wrong, just sit and feel the present moment in whichever way works for you, for as long as it feels good to you in that day.

2. Practicing because of commitment or fear:

Many believe meditation has no benefit unless you do it every single day. Others believe the constant practice is the only way to achieve deeper levels of understanding about meditation. They’re not entirely wrong, consistency helps and guides us into a whole life transformation, yes. However, in the beginning, don’t focus yourself too much on the commitment. Doing things because we feel “obligated” to can kill a bit of the initial excitement.

SOLUTION: Instead of committing to meditate every single day, commit to trying every day. It seems counterintuitive, but this will allow you only to do it when you feel like it. You will clearly see the benefit it has on you and will help you feel love for the practice instead of resistance. No pressure, no fear, just allow this to be something you enjoy.

3. Starting “solo”:

Getting into the right space on your own, without experience, can be a bit tricky. Many beginners never really feel the buzz meditation can provide because they quit too soon. Don’t blame them, because at first, it can be a bit confusing, I remember. For me, the answer was to begin using Guided Meditations.

The only effort you need to make with those is click play and sit down; the recording will guide your thoughts, emotions, and energy into a peaceful state without you having to wonder if “you’re doing it right.”

SOLUTION: Find yourself some guided meditations, wild child. They will skyrocket your practice and make it easier for you in every way. Make sure you like the voice in the recording, otherwise instead of relaxing it can become annoying. You can find tons of guided meditations online. We have created some for you. Our recordings include a guided introduction to making sure you are protected energetically, relaxed physically and guided appropriately. Check them out here.

4. Wrong space for meditation:

Space is so freaking important. If the space around us is cluttered, dirty, loud and distracting, it will be tough for our energies to relax.

SOLUTION: Make sure you have some incense burning, organized space around you and some relaxing music. I love to meditate with music, but that could be distracting for some. Make sure no one will interrupt you and find a comfortable space to sit in with your back supported by a wall.

5. Not having a clear “why” for your meditation:

The intention behind our choice to meditate is crucial. It’s not the same to sit with the intention of just “giving meditation a try” vs. an intention to deeply connect to our spirit guides and receive insights. The lack of clarity will usually bring about more lack of clarity and probably the meditation will feel a bit “blah” for you.

SOLUTION: Think about it a bit. Why do you want to meditate in the first place? Is it because you want more peace in your life? Is it because you want to stop overreacting and bitching to your loved ones? Is it because you know there’s deep wisdom within you and you’d like to access it? Think about it before every single session and you will have better results.

Get started (again)! With these tips, you’ll do much better, wild child!

Hope you enjoyed this! If you did please share with those friends of yours who are still struggling with the idea of meditation.

Love and light,