Meditation Myth: I don’t have time to meditate
When people are thinking about learning to meditate they often cite time as one of the main issues they bump up against: “I don’t have time to meditate”.
We understand. We also had the same question when we first came to Vedic Meditation. That feeling of never having enough time is a common one and so the thought of sitting down to meditate for 20 minutes might cause some concern.
Here’s an excerpt from Jillian’s book Why Meditate? Because it Works. that speaks to this issue.
“I don’t have time to meditate”.
When someone tells me this, I reply with a simple question: ‘What’s taking up all your time?’
The specific answers vary, and obvious things like work, children and general responsibilities of life come up. When we dig a bit deeper, we always find some wriggle room. There’s time spent on stuff that’s not so memorable, necessary or life-enhancing. (Read: social media!)
It comes down to the choices we’re making about what’s important, and the perceived payback on those investments. Time is your most precious resource. You have thirty minutes and then it’s gone. You don’t get that time back. How are you using it?
If you’re so busy you don’t have time to pause, rest and rebalance then something’s off. Your life has ‘unsustainable’ written all over it!
Meditation doesn’t have to involve many hours each day. Millions of people living very full lives are doing it. My meditation practice only takes about twenty minutes, twice a day. I typically do my first meditation early, before the day gets going. Then in the late afternoon/ early evening it’s time for a second one. Meditating in the morning means I start the day clear, calm and energised. Then after a busy day, I wash away the stress and tiredness and enjoy my evening.
You might be reading this, thinking forty minutes a day! Where’s that going to come from?
Don’t panic. Meditators quickly notice that they gain time. The deep rest you get in a twenty-minute meditation leaves you more clear and alert. You get through your to-do list faster. You may even need to sleep less. Ultimately, you’ll get more done. Investing in a few minutes of meditation delivers a return on productivity that’s more than worth it.
Taken from Jillian’s book: Why Meditate? Because it Works.