Fact: You can't be bad at meditation, even if you try.

By KATHY WILSON

Today, I have a bold and brave pronouncement to make.

Here it is….

Are you ready?

This is it.

You can’t be bad at meditating

Really.

You can’t.  No one can.

You can be bad at dancing (and ain’t that the truth).

You can be bad at chess.

You can be so bad at swimming that you regularly have to be rescued but….

You can’t be bad at meditation.

Here’s why:

Meditation is the most personal thing there is and is as individual and unique as every person on the planet.

Maybe you don’t believe me? Let me explain.

Over the last 12 months we’ve answered hundreds of questions from our subscribers and just people who were wandering by our site.

We have answered questions from people who have always wanted to meditate and people who have never wanted to until their spouse/mother/daughter gave them a subscription to our site.

Over and over, I hear people tell me they can’t meditate.

Here are the most common reasons they give. They are amazingly universal.

1.  “My mind won’t be quiet. The longer I meditate, the more thoughts jump around and jangle me.”

I have asked many of our experts the answer to this question and their answer is always something like: “welcome to being a human being. “ (Although they nearly always say it in a kind, loving voice.)

I don’t think there is a person alive who hasn’t wrestled with this one. (It is possible that the Dalai Lama and/or Bob Dylan are exceptions but having spoken to neither of them I am just theorising.)

Either way, my point is solid. If your mind jumps around while you are meditating all you know for sure is that you are normal.

My tip here is start small and celebrate the victories. Focus on taking 5 breaths, just thinking about your breathing. 5 focussed breaths and you are ahead of the game. 5 breaths may lead to 6 breaths and then – who knows?  Maybe even 7.

2. Another reason often put forward as failure is:

“I keep falling asleep when I meditate.”

Maybe you’re tired. Maybe it’s not the right time of day for you to meditate. Maybe it’s not the right day for you to meditate.

I think one of the most delicious things in the world is to fall asleep during a meditation. (No, this is possibly not textbook advice but you know, it is your mind, your body, your meditation.) If sleeping and meditation work for you – go right ahead.

Remember there are no wrong answers here.

3. A third really common issue is something like:

“I know I should meditate. I want to meditate. I mean to meditate…..but…..I don’t.”

Nope. You aren’t lazy. Maybe you just haven’t found the type of meditation that pushes your buttons.

Here are a few tips:

• Start small. If 10 minutes is too much for you to start off with, just start with 5 lovely focussed breaths. Does that make you feel good? Then try 10. Figure out what your meditation style looks like and work with it.

• Use help to get you started. Find a guided meditation cd you love (or maybe a website that sends you a range of different meditations)

• Get comfortable. I know most of the images you see of people meditating have them ramrod straight and cross legged. If that works for you – fine. If it doesn’t. That’s fine as well.

Do your knees hurt when you sit like that?

Don’t sit like that. Use and armchair or lie on a soft rug. This is not an exercise in overcoming discomfort. This is one of life’s great pleasures. Take it easy on yourself.

So here’s your big moment. Grab a pair of earphones and click on this link.

You really can’t get it wrong.

Enjoy.

Kathy Wilson runs a meditation website called mydiamonddays.com that sends subscribers 10 minute meditations from experts all over the world sent to their inbox daily. You can check out her website or visit her facebook page here