Personal Preferences

Why would anyone meditate?

Hello folks,

I’ve been having a number of conversations about what a meditation studio is, and why anyone would need to meditate with other people, or even have a teacher.

Here’s some more thoughts to chew on:

1. Even if you don’t like a meditation, that particular meditation can be effective for what a meditation does.
   If you have a preference, your preference doesn’t necessarily affect the effectiveness, unless of course, it stops you from doing the meditation. Mind-blowing, right?

2. Even if you do happen to like a meditation, it might not be a constructive part of a larger wellness plan.
   There are even some type of meditation that could be counter-productive for certain times in a person’s life, depending on the situation.

3. It’s interesting to ask oneself periodically, “why would I want to meditate… at all?”

   -is it the health benefits?
   -is it to feel better, to feel relaxed, to feel a preferred or expected way?
   -to not-feel anything unexpected or unwanted?
   3A. Am I doing meditation just because all the cool kids are doing it?!

In the end, these don’t need to be “questions” to ask, but more “inquiries” to sit with and not-really-answer.

To sit with an inquiry is part of a process of continually unpacking the concepts that underpin “effective” mindfulness practice.

And, if you’re mind is not yet spinning enough, there’s even more about the whys and wherefores of meditation in this week’s Tier 2 lab-work newsletter. I’ll be diving deeper into personal preference and ego in that email.

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