The Five Deadly Meditation Sins

To sin is to miss the mark. As with all practice, meditation sins are a natural part of mastering a skill or ability.

A master can still their mind on-command. Here are the fives most common ways people miss the mark in their meditation practices — in no particular order.

Having a goal vs an intention… A goal is to accomplish x result by y date. In other words, I will meditate like Buddha within a year. Where as an intention is to master stilling my mind, on-command.

Not trusting the practice… Sitting in practice is the practice. When we intentionally practice, we accomplish the benefits of meditation by strengthening our mental control.

Comparisons… Comparing this practice vs yesterday’s practice is missing not only the mark, but the entire target. Now is not yesterday. Now is now. Being here now in today’s reality is the practice.

Not keeping a journal… Keeping a journal of your practices, insights, and observations is essential to noting your progress over time. Without a journal, you’re subjectively remembering the past rather than objectively reviewing your state of mind at a specific moment in time.

Inconsistent practice… The most deadly of the meditation sins is to practice inconsistently. The discipline of regular practice is the master’s way.

You will love the person you become as a result of your regular meditation practice.