I’ve had the good fortune to learn and study with some extraordinary teachers along my path like Dr. Deepak Chopra, davidji, and Dr. David Simon who all taught me what a meditation practice is and what it isn’t. My hope is to pass along these valuable lessons and dispel some of the myths of meditation in an effort to get more people meditating. Those of you that already do, for you to love your practice even more.  So, let’s begin…..

It’s not about trying to get rid of our thoughts during meditation.  Having thoughts means you are alive!  We have between 60,000-80,000 thoughts per day so imagine thinking that they stop when we sit down to meditate.  It’s part of the experience.

It’s not about perfection.  Really, the only way to do this wrong is by not meditating.  🙂  This is why we call it a practice.  I’ll even take it a step further.  The less we do, the more we benefit.  It’s counter intuitive from the mindset of “no pain, no gain.”  How awesome is that?

It is about letting go of expectations and judgment knowing there is no such thing as a “good” or “bad” meditation.  Try and leave that out of your practice.  Think of each meditation as a snowflake which is always different and beautiful.

It’s not about sitting in lotus position with hands in mudras on an uncomfortable pillow.  Comfort is important.  If you aren’t comfy, you won’t want to sit in meditation.

It is about tapping into stillness and silence.  We are human beings that are constantly doing.  It’s an opportunity to just BE and creates space for self reflection and inquiry.  When we meditate, we move past the mind, intellect, and the ego allowing us to connect to a deeper part of who we are and what we want.

Something special is supposed to happen during my meditation.  The magic happens outside of our practice. We come to things in a more reflective, less reactive way.  We become more creative and novel in our solutions.  We are kinder, more compassionate, and present.  Although, some cool things can happen during, just let go of any expectations.

If I meditate, I will become enlightened.  The good news is, you are already enlightened.  We just forget sometimes.  Deepak says, “The best way to feel enlightened is to lighten up.”

I first came to meditation on my own path to healing 13 years ago and it has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.   What I have gained from my meditation practice is profound.  I’ve learned to manage stress and chronic pain better.  I have more clarity on who I am and what I really want.  I’m definitely more creative, present, playful and living with so much gratitude.

As a meditation teacher and integrative coach, I am thrilled to see more people incorporating mindful practices into their lives.  Beyond grateful to have the opportunity to share what I love to help people heal and transform their lives.  Hope to see you at Bindupoint.  I teach Wed nights at 6 pm.  Namaste.

Wendi Cohen is a meditation teacher at Bindupoint. Her classes are Wednesday nights at 6pm, in addition she holds a monthly two-hour workshops on Saturday afternoons. Please check the schedule on our website.