Seriously wanting to meditate doesn’t always mean sitting down and getting started. There can always be a blockage in the way and although this blockage can be cleared, it is good to look at it carefully first. What is the cause and remove it before starting to meditate seriously.

Blockages

Without you being aware of it, there may be a blockage that is preventing you from meditating. It is good to find out why as soon as you notice an obstacle. There are several reasons why meditation fails, namely:

• Emotional disturbances
• Mental disturbances
• Physical disturbances

Take the time to find out what the cause is and see whether it is something you can solve yourself or with which you need (professional) help.

Reasons

Physical obstacles

One that many people do not think about, but which can certainly play a role, is the physical body. There are various foods that can play a role in the process. This has to do with the high brain wave frequency in which you can remain (beta level). The high brainwave frequency is what you experience when you are awake.What should you think about when it comes to obstacles in nutrition?

• Stimulants is a collective word and it concerns all substances that keep you at a certain level and which play a negative role in preventing you from getting out of beta. Consider substances such as coffee, chocolate, black tea, substances to which strong salt has been added such as licorice or the entire meal.
• Unrest can also prevent you from progressing to a higher level and, when it comes to nutrition, unrest can be caused by certain nutrients. Red meat, especially from factory farming, can also play a role in this. Consider, for example, a high level of stress hormone.
• To combat loss of concentration, you can check whether sweeteners are throwing a spanner in the works. Sometimes, if you are sensitive to sweeteners, certain sweeteners can put you to sleep immediately and you cannot maintain the desired meditation level.

A dietitian may be able to help you, otherwise contact your (naturopathic) GP or homeopath.

Mental obstacles

We all experience unrest in our bodies, not caused by food, to a greater or lesser extent. If it is a moment, there is not much going on yet. Everyone knows such a moment from work or private life. If it hinders your daily activities or gets in the way of your meditation moment, it is good to find out what the cause lies.Some of the common mental causes:

• Too many high thoughts in your head. The everyday things that float on the surface and which you cannot get rid of. They just keep filling your mind and there’s no room for anything else.
• A high degree of excitement, both positive and negative. The body is full of adrenaline at that moment and the transition to the inner peace you need for meditation is just too big.
• Chaotic in your head costs energy and you will have to keep everything you still have to do in your mind in order not to forget it in the first place. The same applies to things that you still have to do, but that you are dreading. These remain prominent, possibly too prominent, there is no room for anything else.
• Worries, right or wrong, occupy people’s minds. It can take such forms that you can no longer function properly.

Sometimes just entrusting to paper what you are keeping in your head can be a solution. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for all cases. A mental coach can often help you further.

Emotional obstacles

Emotions are very powerful and can easily override your rational thoughts. Not everyone realizes that your normal functioning can be hindered by emotions. For example, it is only when people no longer function that an unprocessed emotion surfaces. Emotions want to be experienced and you will therefore have to go through them. This also applies to old emotions of loss, sadness, etc. You will have to go through this to create space, space for anything.What should you think about:

• Grief not or not properly processed, for example from losing a loved one.
• Feeling of guilt towards one or more people, where it is actually irrelevant whether it is justified or unjustified.
• Perfectionism can take such forms that you cannot afford to make mistakes and set the bar extremely high. You don’t forgive yourself when you make a mistake.

For processing problems, please contact the professional. The psychotherapist can usually help you further.

Tackle it

Besides the fact that it is always good to tackle things that hinder you in any way, it also gives you more self-insight. You will notice that if you tackle your problem (with or without professional help), you will slowly but surely get to a state where you feel more comfortable and where you learn to relax. Apart from the fact that meditation produces demonstrable results, it also has the necessary advantages for your self-insight. Sometimes it can be solved straight away, sometimes it takes a little more time. But the fact that you are healing yourself anyway is a milestone in itself.