It’s time to recognize meditation as a practice complementary to psychology. With regular meditation practice, people can experience some of the mental health benefits that come with therapy. This includes being able to have a deeper, more honest understanding of thoughts and behaviors. As someone who practices both meditation and psychotherapy, I can attest that meditation has helped many patients improve their relationships, their self-esteem and overcome difficulties in obsessive thinking.
What you can do:
Don’t try too hard.
When it comes to meditation, trying hard doesn’t pay off. For example, if you’re doing a breathing meditation that involves focusing on the breath as it moves in and out of your lungs, you might try to control your breath and make it deeper and easier to focus on – but this is counterproductive. You should observe your body as it is, and if your breathing is irregular, you should simply take note of this and not put any effort into changing it during meditation. The same applies to a wandering mind: if you feel your mind drifting away from your focal point, don’t force it to come back. Rather, bring it back as gently and effortlessly as you can.