Here’s a question I received recently and, as it’s something that comes up often in my work with clients, I thought you’d appreciate these perspectives too. 

Q: When I think of meditation, it’s something I don’t always want to do. Most often I don’t do it.  Is this resistance, or is there a point in time in our spiritual development that we no longer need to meditate? 

Let’s look at the part of your question that addresses the desire or resistance to meditate first. 

That answer is found in how you feel when you  make the choice to meditate or not to do so.   For example, if you  are inspired to meditate and then don’t ... because you tell yourself you don’t have the time ... then you are affirming/creating a lack of time.   And if you tell yourself that you should do it, because it’s good for you, will you want to do it?  Will you want to do something if you’re making it a “have to”, or if you tell yourself that you “should” do it?  Let’s say you force yourself to meditate,  despite the feeling of not wanting to ... will you enjoy the experience if you stay in the space of a should or a have to? 

Why We Do What We Do

Here’s an obvious, yet not always obvious reason for why we do, or do not do anything. 

When we want to do something, we will automatically want to do it.  No force is needed. When we think we should or have to, we will resist taking action. 

And if we force ourselves to do something we don’t really want to do ... we won’t enjoy it, and that can lead to experiences of  anger, resentment, self-criticism, feeling trapped, procrastination, and overwhelm.

It’s never the thing (in this case, whether to meditate) that creates any of those feelings, or the resistance. Rather, it’s the attitude/perspective around the choice. Is it a want to, a have to, or a should?  All of it is created, within you — from the idea or desire to meditate, to the choice to happily or unhappily  do so. Of course, we can also choose to happily, or unhappily decide not to do so . And if we would make ourselves wrong for not doing something, or not doing it correctly ... that too is a choice!

On Purpose: Your Reason Why

So, the question then becomes - do you want to meditate?  Why would you want to? Here are some reasons why you might choose to want to.

1. You feel good when you cultivate a way of being that is helpful to you in some way ... such as expanding serenity, ease ,or higher presence. 

2. You like the feeling of peace, or connecting with the nonphysical aspects of yourself and life. 

3. It helps you remember who You are, or you feel that you’re expanding feelings of being  loved and supported when you meditate. 

4. You feel peaceful, and want to use part of your meditation time to anchor  or visualize exciting new  choices you want to attract. 

5. You want to expand happiness, appreciation or some other helpful way-of-being, and you feel that is what you’re doing when you meditate. 

6. You love the soft music you listen to as you meditate. 

7. You like guided mediations that take you to new exciting places and possibilities. 

8. You want to have a deep, soul-to-soul conversation with someone in nonphysical form..

9. You want to expand your ability to focus your thinking. 

10. You want to practice observing without commenting, and want to quiet your mind ,so you can be above the stories and in the driver’s seat as you go about your day.