I don’t know why I refuse to meditate when I know it’s helped me when I did do it. I fact I don’t do anything that I know helps me. I love doing crochet &want to spend all my time crocheting! Perhaps it’s my addictions that are in the way? Also, I’ve been told people who have a brain chemical imbalance (I used to) should not or could not meditate! Please can you kindly advise me. Thank you
—KK, UK
Dear KK, You are not alone in this world, in knowing that you should meditate and that it will help you greatly, but then not being willing to actually do it, regularly and faithfully! It may take several different approaches (try them all at least a little bit, to see what works for you!) to help you overcome what we often call “the unwillingness monster.” I’ll suggest a few:
First would be to begin increasing your will power. The way to do that is to tap into the energy source you have inside you, which is just waiting to help you! Energy and willpower go hand in hand. Yogananda often said: “The greater the will (willingness), the greater the flow of energy!” Vice versa is true also. To begin to increase your energy and willingness power, I’d suggest that you learn Yogananda’s Energization Exercises and start doing them once every day. They are magical in their ability to open up the conscious, cosmic energy channels in your body and brain, giving you the strength and motivation you need to form excellent new habits, especially meditation. Once you learn them, they take only 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
Then make a personal vow to meditate every day, once a day for at least 5 minutes (and not more than that for a while). Many people fail in trying to create a meditation habit by trying to meditate too long in the beginning. Then, after you get that habit in place, begin increasing the time very gradually—let yourself learn to enjoy that quiet inner time and see how it feeds you. Set some sort of realistic minimum of time for yourself, that you will not go below, no matter what. Five minutes is infinitely better than none at all! Build on it as you can.
Create a little altar space with a comfortable chair or whatever you like to sit on and don’t use it for anything else except meditation. Make it beautiful and magnetic—so you really want to be there and be quiet and inward. If you don’t feel like meditating, go and sit there anyway for 5 minutes. Best time of day is early morning, before you do anything else. Try it! It will make your whole day feel much better!
Pray for help in your quest to create a meditation habit. Pray at the beginning and end of every meditation. At the close, send out healing prayers for the world and for those you know who need it.:
See if you can find a meditation group and join with others to meditate together, at least once a week, or whenever possible. This can help immensely! If that isn’t possible for you, consider joining our Ananda Virtual Community It has online meditations, in which you can participate from your home. Not as good as in person, but better than nothing!
I don’t know if you do anything else while you are crocheting, but I’d suggest you use your time wisely and listen to audio recordings which will encourage your spiritual life and also motivate you to meditate. Consider joining our Treasures Along the Path group, whereby you can receive wonderfully motivating recordings regularly. It’s a great help!
If you have not taken some basic meditation instructions in person, or online, please do so. You need proven meditation techniques to help you—many work with your breath—fun and easy to do. See: How to Meditate or Ananda Course in Meditation.
So you see, there is a lot you can do right now! Don’t delay or put it off. It is too important! Many, many meditators before you have struggled with this same challenge and learned how to make it work for themselves. I know, because I was one of them, but now I have been meditating every day for over 40 years and I’m so VERY glad I made an effort to do all the things I’ve mentioned above. They really work!
Finally keep these words of Yogananda in your mind all the time: “NEVER accept that meditation is not for you! Keep trying! Never give up!”
