Sneaky Obstacles on the Spiritual Path

One of the most sneaky obstacles on the spiritual path is not being unwilling to do inner work; it is procrastination. This is where habit becomes one of your best friends. When starting, say, a meditation practice, quality is less important than consistency. In time, when you become rooted in your practice, it is easier to go deep. It's the initial start that can be the most challenging and is where many end up throwing in the towel.

So, in order to stay consistent, here are some useful tips:

Pair your practice with something that you already do on a daily basis. Let’s say when you wake up in the morning your usual route is to brush your teeth, brew a cup of coffee, scroll on your phone for a bit, get ready for work, and run out the door with a little something in your mouth. For many people, coffee is kind of a non-negotiable, so try to commit to meditating right after you have your first cup.

Start with what is doable. You might hear about people who wake up at 4 a.m. and meditate for three hours before heading off to work, and you think, “Wow, I wish I could do that!” Rest assured, though, that they did not start out that way. If five minutes is all you feel you can do, then great! Again, you are establishing a new habit, so whatever gets the ball rollin.

Try digestible chunks. It is easier for the mind to commit to smaller time frames than to say, “I am now doing this forever.” I would suggest committing yourself for 30 days and going from there. If you have seen even an inkling of progress, than why not continue?

Find a quiet place. This could be a corner in a room, a closet, or the living room before the family wakes up. Distractions can be challenging contenders, especially when just starting out. If you have others in your home, be sure to let them know that unless the house is on fire, this is time for you and you are not to be disturbed.

Meditate with others. There is a magnetic power that supports each other when two or more people come together to meditate. Think of each individual as a light bulb. Alone, you produce a certain wattage, but with five to ten other light bulbs, the light gets amplified. Try a Google search and see if there are any meditation groups in your local area. If you live in the vicinity of Edmonds, WA, East West has a weekly meditation group that meets every Tuesday from 6:15–7:15 p.m. that you can check out.

Environment is stronger than willpower. Environment isn’t just the place you live and work; it is the company you keep, movies, the internet, music, and so on. Everything carries an uplifting or downward-pulling quality to it. Be honest and ask yourself, “Is this helping uplift my awareness?” If not, and you can easily let it go, try doing so for at least your 30-day period and see how you feel.

Pick a method and stick with it. There are so many meditation practices out there fom Zen, Vipassana, Kriya Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, shamanic journeying, and so on. Feel free to try what works for you, but once you do, it is best to stick with it. There are many paths to the top of a mountain, but if you jump from one path to the next, you will be making circles rather than going up.

There is no better moment to begin than today. If you find yourself thinking you are too busy and will start later, remember that later always turns into now. Inner peace is not something you stumble into by accident; it is something you choose to cultivate. Try committing to 30 days and see what unfolds. It may very well be the best decision you have ever made.

If you would like a deeper explanation and tips on how to meditate, I would suggest you read How To Mediate by Jyotish Novak. You can purchase it from this link.