I’ve been struggling with meditating lately. 

I’m a big fan of meditation.

I meditate in different ways:

🔴 Walking meditations

🟠 Meditative writing

🟡 Lying on the floor

But none of those have been “working” for me lately.

The resistance is strong.

So today I asked a brilliant coach friend of mine for advice.

Her recommendation was simple: slow down your breathing.

She suggested breathing as slow as I possibly could during my meditation.

Then she left me with these parting words:

There isn’t a bad meditation.

Every meditation is a good meditation.

Such a simple, but profound message.

So I figured I’d give it a try.

I came inside my home, lit a candle, put my phone on do not disturb, and began a yin yoga sequence.

And I slowed down my breathing.

For 30 minutes I worked through 6 poses, focusing only on my breath.

My mind wandered, then returned, and my brain - which had been chaotically whirring for days - started to slow down, too.

It was on my 5th pose that it occurred to me - hustle culture has ruined meditation.

In the last few days of meditation attempts, I’ve gone in with expectations.

I wanted brilliant messages from the universe

I wanted answers to questions

I wanted direction

My wants were actually demands.

And it was only today when I realized I was approaching it all wrong.

Meditation isn’t about what I want to get out of it.

That’s a selfish, egotistical approach to meditation.

And it’s no wonder I wasn’t able to relax my brain enough to actually meditate… I was demanding things, not listening.

Meditation is all about listening.

It’s about just BEING.

The point of meditation is not to get something out of it. It’s to be IN it. If messages or clarity come during a meditation, great. 

But that’s not the point.

The point is to just be there.

With your breath, your brain, and your body.

Hustle culture expects immediate payoff from our efforts.

Hustle culture tells our ego that we have total control over the entire process and end results of our efforts.

And hustle culture tells us to keep going without slowing down.

Hustle culture ruins everything meditation offers.

So if you, like me, have been struggling with meditation, try going into it with no expectations. Pick a meditation that allows you to simply BE.

Be with your breath.

Be with your body.

Be with your brain.

Don’t expect anything.

It’s simple. And it’s powerful.