by Matthew Young | Last updated Jun 29, 2018 | Published on Jun 28, 2018 | Articles
Meditation teachers have a habit of telling people what to do with — or about — their thoughts. Psychologists and self-help gurus do this too. Thoughts, however, are rather mysterious. Scientists can’t really say exactly what they are or how they’re formed. And...
by Matthew Young | Last updated Mar 12, 2021 | Published on May 27, 2018 | Articles
Do you have trouble staying awake when you meditate? Do you feel like it’s wrong, or bad to fall asleep — or that you’ll miss out on the benefits of meditation if you doze off? Does falling asleep mid-practice feel frustrating, or embarrassing? These are...
by Matthew Young | Last updated May 1, 2018 | Published on Apr 30, 2018 | Articles
There are elephants in the meditation room. One of them looks guilty. It’s the one that’s not meditating. At least, not as often as it thinks it should. Perhaps you don’t meditate as often as you’d like either? Why is that? Some people say they...
by Matthew Young | Last updated Apr 23, 2018 | Published on Mar 30, 2018 | Articles
Some people say meditation is boring. They’re right. It can be. Indeed, many of the most widely used meditation techniques — you’ll probably agree — do sound rather monotonous. Repeat a mantra, over and over again, inside your head. Scan the body from head...
by Matthew Young | Last updated Apr 24, 2018 | Published on Feb 28, 2018 | Articles
In recent months I’ve been writing about some of the many meditation myths and misconceptions which, when unquestioned, often make meditation much harder than it needs to be. I’ve addressed the idea that the aim of meditation is to still your mind; the...
by Matthew Young | Last updated Apr 25, 2018 | Published on Feb 1, 2018 | Articles
Some people have suggested that the current interest in meditation and mindfulness is just a fad; and that once media interest wanes these practices will revert to their previous status — as the esoteric hobbies of a few curious eccentrics. I’m not one to try...
