Meditation Apps are not Meditation

I'm a meditation snob.  

Meditation apps are not meditation.  

There, I said it.  

Meditation apps are great.  They have many benefits.  But- they aren't meditation.

Here's why-

Ever been really irritable or upset and someone asks you whats wrong and your response is something like, "Nothing, I 'm just in a bad mood."  And truly, you may have no idea why you feel the way you are feeling. 

Happens a lot, right?

We live extraordinarily busy lives.  From the time we wake up from the time we lay our heads on the pillow at night, we are consumed- consumed with information, sensory input, screens, thoughts (roughly 70,000 thoughts a day).  

If you were to take a moment and sit in silence- something most of us never do- it might go something like this.

Take a few breaths.  

Thoughts of what my co-worker said comes rushing in.  

Replay whole scenario. 

To do list items start creeping in-

Grocery store, work obligations, the messy bathroom in need of cleaning.

A flashback to earlier today when that guy cut me off in traffic.

Back to the co-worker.

And the list of thoughts parading through our minds would likely go on and on.

Suddenly, it starts to make sense. I gain an understanding of why I'm feeling  irritable. There's a lot going on below the surface.  Meditation is not about clearing your thoughts (despite what some recent definitions might try to say). Meditation is about awareness.  

It is sitting in stillness and observing your emotions and thoughts without clinging to them. It is getting in touch with yourself.  It is about slowing down, paying attention, breathing, and understanding what you are thinking and feeling.

Don't get me wrong, I think meditation apps have some amazing benefits and can be helpful for many things but there is a difference between being soothed and being self aware.

When you plug in and listen to someone else's words you may receive physical or emotional stress relief, a sense of calm, nervous system regulation and an array of many other benefits. All good stuff. BUT, you are still separated from yourself- from recognizing and understanding your OWN thoughts and emotions.  

There are many types of meditation.  There are many ways to meditate. But at its core, they should bring you back to yourself.

Want to give it a try?

Start with just one minute a day.  Sit in stillness, focus on the in and out of the breath, notice thoughts as they arise, don't hang on to them, return to the breath.  Repeat.  It's kind of just that easy (with practice).