As human consciousness has grown over the centuries, we’ve become aware of subtle realities that exist within us. We realize that this physical plane is not everything. In fact, it’s a tiny portion of a large puzzle.

One of the best ways to heighten your awareness in tune with these realities is meditation. But when we do find a solution, there will always be excuses as to why we can’t do it.

That’s the nature of the mind. Always wanting to default to the easiest option.

Which is why procrastination is a big issue for most of us. We fail not because we don’t know what to do, because we don’t want to do it at the present moment.

And the same is the case with meditation. It’s not easy when you start. It takes a lot of practice to get comfortable with it. Which is why the mind is surprisingly active to find excuses and avoid it.

Unwillingness to meditate is one of our biggest struggles, especially for those on a spiritual path. And over months of talking to people and learning about their experiences, I’ve heard a lot of excuses.

It Triggers Negative Emotions

This is by far the biggest one that I’ve seen.

While meditating, your mind is not going to cherry-pick negative emotions from your subconscious. Yes, the mind is biased towards negative thinking but that doesn’t mean that your meditation practice has anything to do with it.

It’s a form of introspection. The fruits that come out of it are according to the seeds that you’ve sowed in your soul.

Meditation will not only bring out heightened states of awareness and divine experiences all the time. Whatever suppressed emotions you have are likely the first thing to come out — because those are the things that you should pay attention to.

When meditation brings those emotions to the surface, your job is to throw them out one at a time. This is how you become aware of your own self.

Most people live in constant ignorance of their own emotions. Disconnected from their body and mind, they operate like zombies. Don’t be a zombie.

It Alters Your Sensory Perception

The goal of meditation is this — to remember the divine memory that your soul has.

You are not your body. You are not your mind. And this world is merely an illusion, a Cosmic Dream of the Creator if you must say.

By meditating more, you start to realize that there is a world within where realities, different from our world, are at play.

Even after you finish your meditation, you carry that sense of altered perception with you.

This is a problem only for those who don’t know about it. Scriptures in each religion tell us about such experiences but we describe them as “woo-woo.”

But when we do have such experiences, we think that it’s a mental disease or something is not right. Actually, this is when everything starts to make sense!

Michael Singer in his book Untethered Soul says,

Meditation is the return to the root of your being. It’s like you have been on the couch watching TV, but you were so totally immersed in the show that you forgot where you were.

Someone shook you, and now you’re back to the awareness that you’re sitting on the couch simply watching TV.

You stopped projecting your sense of self onto an object external to your consciousness.

Don’t fear such experiences. Be grateful that you have them. For you are amongst the few who understand the subtle realities.

You’re Less Motivated to Work

As is mostly highlighted by Buddhist and eastern traditions, one of the aims of meditation is non-attachment.

Non-attachment is the root of deep peace. But no religion tells you to sit all day on a cushion to not perform your duties in the world in the name of being non-attached.

It’s procrastination masked of spirituality.

True non-attachment comes from being in the world, performing your duties, and not thinking about the fruits of your labor. After all, how much can you be attached to if you’re doing nothing?

To approach our relationships with a sense of non-attachment to the person — that’s what makes relationships beautiful in the highest sense.

Yes, you may like to meditate more as you start to have such experiences. But more than anything, you’ll tap a hidden power inside of you. And this power is too strong to resist — it’ll push you to achieve everything that your soul desires and more.

It Makes You Socially Impaired

This one is totally ridiculous.

Meditation will make you comfortable with yourself. Very few people can sit with themselves for 10 minutes without doing anything.

There was a study done where people were told to sit in a room without any stimulus for 15 minutes or they could get out by pushing a button which would give them an electric shock.

Most people chose to get the shock and get out.

That’s the state of human beings right now. We prefer getting an electric shock rather than sitting in silence for 15 minutes.

Just because you value your new-found peace and solitude, doesn’t mean that you’re socially impaired. At the most, it will cut out unnecessary conversations with people you don’t want to talk to.

If you’re otherwise gossiping and bitching about others with your friends, it’s best you quit now.

Short Meditation Makes Little Sense

We have a tendency to think about everything in terms of instant gratification. 10 minutes of meditation may not be as good as 30 minutes of meditation. But it doesn’t mean that you should skip it altogether.

It’s like saying — I don’t have time for an hour-long gym session so I’ll not even try to go. Or, I can’t maintain a healthy diet so I’ll keep on eating junk all the time.

And you know that’s a BS excuse for anything in life.

It Goes on Throughout the Day

Your meditation practice is just a part of your path towards heightened awareness. What you do for the rest of the day also counts.

People are usually bummed when they hear that they’ve to be mindful the whole day in addition to meditation. But that’s what it takes to succeed.

You can’t eat a bowl of vegetables in the morning and binge on fast food all day to expect a healthy body. Why then do you think about your attention in the same way?

If you only meditate for 10 minutes in the morning and spend your whole day distracted, it’s of no use.

Conclusion

*TL;DR: *Here are the common excuses that will sabotage your mindfulness practice. Do everything you can to avoid them:

1. It triggers negative emotions

2. It alters your sensory perception

3. You’re less motivated to work

4. It makes you socially impaired

5. Short meditation makes little sense

6. It goes on throughout the day

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