Do you struggle with meditation? Here's how to solve that!

A 11 point guide to get you in the flow and master your practice.

Dear friends,

We all know that meditation is the single most important and effective practice to reach the root of our human experience and uplift literally every part of our life. Our life is a river that flows from the ocean of consciousness, but because of all the blocks and programs of society, we often feel depleted and try to remedy our issues from the outside without addressing the 90% of our consciousness that is unexplored - the deep roots of our origins and subconscious.

In this little guide I’m going to share a basic understanding of meditation and cast aside some myths. Then I’m going to share some key factors that you can adopt and seriously shift your whole experience and connection with your practice!

Let me know how it goes.

Why do we struggle with meditation?

One of the biggest reasons people state they struggle with meditation is that they can’t concentrate their mind. The second biggest struggle is maintaining a consistent practice. We generally have an idea of meditation being sitting in one place and observing the breath (key practice), but what we’re doing in even just those 5 minutes is something seriously so much bigger.

We are literally directing our consciousness inwards, we are moving through HEAPS of resistance, distractions, thoughts, patterns and programs and fixating our awareness on our present moment breathing and movements. We are coming back home, so no doubt if you’re just starting off you and even if you’re not, it’s not always going to be the deep peace that you expect.

And so let me clear that first of all - just because your thoughts are haywire or you can’t focus, this does NOT mean you are unsuccessful. The intention to sit itself is a success, and you ARE moving though things, your soul and spiritual consciousness is forming a bridge and will come through as you stay with it.

The second thing being consistency, which is far more important than how the experience of your practice was. If you can get on the mat for just 10 minutes every day at the same time you have accomplished a great deal - you’ve literally pulled back the reigns of your automation patterns and anchored into yourself. This is a major accomplishment and you can slowly build from here.

So getting to the point, why are are we distracted and what makes it difficult? In the next section I’m going to share 11 KEY factors that are going to help you resolve this issue and connect deeper within your practice.

But before that I’m going to insert a little section on how to start off, because that’s where many people get stuck and overwhelmed as well! Remember this intelligence is already inside you, you’re not acquiring anything new. It’s you, you’re just reconnecting.

How do I start off?

So, how do you start off with meditation if you have no idea where to start? Well if you’re reading this, you’ve already started. So congratulations.

You can do this RIGHT now -

Take your hands off your phone or laptop and place them wherever is comfortable. Try and sit with your spine erect if you can, don’t worry if you’re in a car or anywhere else. Now, take just a minute to stop and observe the sounds around you. What are you hearing? Spend a minute right now just bringing your awareness to the different sounds - cars, voices, birds. Practice this for just a minute and return.

Are you noticing more sounds that you did earlier? This is your awareness expanding!

Now, to start with a regular meditation practice that is really going to shift everything for you, the key aspect is observing your breathing.

We will discuss all the key factors in the next section, but to start off you can simply observe the movements of your stomach as you breathe in and out.

Do you notice how the stomach moves literally on it’s OWN? This is your miracle of breathing! Your breath connects all the different layers of your being and is your route back into your heart, centre and entire ocean of consciousness.

If you struggle with observation you can put your hands on your stomach, left over right, to start with and simply notice how the hands are moving along with the natural breathing. Allow this to happen naturally for a few minutes and you’ll already gain new awareness.

Eventually, you want to simply just observe the breath naturally without doing anything. You can concentrate at a specific point like the tip of your nose, notice the point at which the breathe leaves and exists the nostrils, or simply just allow the breathing to take place and keep bringing back your awareness.

Practising this simple routine for just 15 minutes in a day will change your life in the space of 2 weeks.

11 KEY factors to resolve your meditation difficulties!

1. Location!

   
   The FIRST thing to think about is your location! There are several aspects to this but the best thing you can do for your practice is fix one particular spot that you can sit every day at the same time. This essentially trains your subconscious mind to be ready for meditation at that location and time, making it much easier to go into your practice.

   
   In Hindu dharma (and indeed all ancient cultures that have been derived from the exploration of consciousness) we also look at the direction of sitting because each direction has it’s own deities, elements, and energetic influence on our field. A good direction to sit is facing East, all other directions are fine apart from facing South. To go deeper into this, seek the origins of Vedic science from its authentic traditional roots. Don’t get too lulled into the hold of neo-Hindu celebrity Gurus because that’s not an original source.

   The other aspects of location are also how calming and welcoming it is. Items like plants, crystals, and definitely having a sacred altar can really help create that vortex of energy that is going to facilitate a deep exploration. Even if the impact is not very tangible, everything in nature carries its own frequency and interacts with us on subtle levels. Let’s explore 2 aspects of things to start with, and for more you can join my further online offerings.
   
   - clearing your space with incense. Now this is BIG because lingering energies can really affect your state of mind! One of the best cleansing agents is sage, which is sacred to the Mesoamerican indigenous people but has sustainability concerns. So procure this from a sustainable source. However in India, we have ‘dhoop’ for example - camphor, Gugal, and very sacred Gau-dhoop, which is cow dung from Desi cows and is used in havans/rituals. Incense is good too, I get my sustainable, indigenous incense cones from here

   https://phool.co which are recycled from temple flowers. Experience for yourself and feel the shift in energy!
   
   - crystals as you know are great additions to uplift the frequency of a space and also to keep on you. Some good crystals that you can keep with you include Selenite (this does not need cleaning and helps to connect to angelic realms), Amethyst (connected to the higher chakras and great for spiritual protection), grounding crystals like red jasper if you need stability and heat crystals like Rose Quartz. Remember that crystals need to be cleaned so you can do this with sage, and if they are okay to put in water then with some salt water. Charge the crystals with your own intention! You can charge them in the light of the full moon and place them in between your hands in the morning and visualise a white light, charging the crystal with your intention for what you want to heal.
   
   The last thing on location is the type of mat. Now, we know that natural and organic materials are the best. But one of the BEST surfaces to meditate on is something called Darbha grass. This has been used since forever by enlightened saints and Rishis! You can get authentic mats and read more here (please DON’T order from Amazon!!! They are a colonial entity. Support locals directly.) https://aayurarogyam.com/
   
   

   

   Above is the Darbha grass meditation mat, they also have Yoga mats. You can purchase for yourself here.

   
   And the very last thing! - SITTING OUTSIDE! Our earth has a powerful energy field and TREES in particular have living spirits and vibrational properties which merge with our energy field and cause deep energetic shifts when we connect. For example, Buddha was enlightened sitting under the Bodhi tree.

   
   Now onto the next one!
   
   

2. Timing
   
   The timing of your practice makes a difference. There’s a reason why in India we do Puja at certain times (morning and Sandhya time). Did you know that certain organs of the body are also related to the wheel of time? We are a completely interconnected organism with the cycles of nature and meditation can help us re-synchronise with this and thus our highest timeline.
   
   The best time to meditation is before dawn, this time is called Bhrama Muharat. But if you can’t then that’s totally okay - first thing in the morning when you wake up for example between 7 and 8am, and otherwise in the Sandhya time around 6-7pm are really good times. There are also certain cosmic times when the flow of universal energy is very strong and certain times of meditation on those days can very much purify your mind from deep levels. But we won’t discuss that here, stay tuned for more info around that.
   
   Setting one fixed time is ideal because it allows your body and mind to find it’s anchor and flow. It gets progressively easier to meditate.

   
   Just set one time to start with and adjust it as you go along - and if you can’t fix one time at this stage, fix a BAND and aim to finish your practice within that no matter, what even if you’re in a taxi somewhere.
   

   

3. Area of focus
   
   Your area of focus can help you heal specific areas and also help you anchor into your practice. One area you can focus on is the tip of your nose. Just place your awareness on the tip of your nose and you will immediately become conscious (or over time) of the motion of your breathing!
   
   Another thing to focus is on your heart centre. For most of us here, our heart needs the most healing. We are a healing species and we have incredible power to heal ourselves. You can focus on your heart by imagining a little white or pink light and simply hold that in awareness. That becomes a visualisation practice which is not the same as meditation, but is very helpful still.
   
   

   

   
   Lastly, a great technique to help you anchor back into your body when your mind is distracted and it’s hard to focus is body scanning. This is what is part of the Vipassana technique of meditation, and you can do a guided meditation to start but otherwise just do it yourself.

   
   To do this, bring your awareness to the top of your head, and then notice it. Bring your awareness to your forehead, your cheeks, your jaw, your neck. You will start to become aware of your posture. You will become aware of tension - release it. Scan your left arm down to your fingers, your right arm, upper to lower back, and neck to stomach. Scan your legs down to your toes and repeat this body scan 3 times. In this practice we are simply observing the sensations NOW! This really helps to ground back into the body. This practice also really helps to build present moment awareness, and you will get stronger in your awareness faculty.
   
   

4. Tracking yourself
   
   Tracking your practice can help you, to a large extent. The best way to do this is to write out on a paper and tick off for each of the days when you’re done with your daily practice. You can use apps too but paper and writing is really the best way and creates a stronger brain connection too.
   
   Don’t worry if you skipped a day, or a bunch of days. It’s okay. :)
   
   Just start again.
   
   Start today.
   Just for five minutes.
   
   And celebrate your wins at the end of each day, no matter what they are! It’s also about us building confidence and belief in ourselves. We ARE able to have a good practice, to purify and heal our lives and in turn the world.
   
   Writing down 3 personal wins you had for your own self-development/growth will activate the reward mechanism in the brain and subconsciously propel you to accomplish over time. Most important thing is to stay with it and never get disheartened, just enjoy life and breathe in the air which is a beautiful meditation in and of itself. It’s those moments that fill you up and meditation practice is just a concentrated way of connecting with and merging into that energy.
   
   

5. Purging/clearing
   
   The idea of purging or clearing is something which is prevalent throughout shamanic cultures, and indeed all ancient cultures. Purging means to release and often if there is a lot of heavy energy be it the foods we consume or our own baggage, it becomes hard to enter that vibrational state of meditation because it is a vibrational realm at the end of the day!
   
   So, how do you clear yourself in order to have a much more successful meditation practice? There are so many ways, and we are going to discuss the proper system outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, because the Vedic sciences are where this system of Yoga originated from with the goal of union, but has been heavily appropriated and distorted by just about everyone.
   
   The first thing you can do now is clear your diet. Going on a 3 day fast or fasting on certain days like once a way or during Ekadashi helps make subtle shifts in your energetic system and purge out dense energies. You can read more about this and learn more about Panchkarma therapy in Ayurveda. I share details of centres and good sources in my email list here.
   

   

   
   Now the second thing which is excellent for purging/clearing dense energy is a shamanic grounding powder called Hapeh. This is made by Amazonian tribes, it is not psychoactive but it essentially grounds and connects one back to one’s centre. On it’s own it is a powerful Spirit medicine to allow a reconnection and clearing. Amazonian indigenous people take Hapeh before hunting in the jungle to improve their concentration and it also decalcifies the pineal gland. Sitting once a day is enough, and your intuition will guide you. To find out more and purchase browse here https://theshipibomarket.com and you can ask questions about these healing modalities in DM. 
   
   

6. Yama/Niyama
   
   Okay, now that we’ve covered some of the external things, let’s briefly look at the FIRST TWO stepping stones of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras towards Samadhi. Note that meditation is just an English word. In Sanskrit, what we refer to as meditation is called Dhyana, which is one step of the 8 different stages!
   

   What are Yama and Niyama? These are duties to the world, and duties to yourself, respectively. There are five different areas to each. These are:
   
   Yama:
   - Ahimsa: absence of hurting another
   - Satya: truthfulness
   - Asteya: non-stealing
   - Brahmacharya: non-excess
   - Aparigraha: non-possessiveness
   
   Niyama:
   - Saucha: purity
   - Santosha: contentment
   - Tapas: self-discipline
   - Svadhyaya: self-study
   - Ishwara Pranidhana: surrender
   
   We won’t go into the definitions of them, because this is very deep. You can obtain a very beautiful art copy of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras made in Madurai and translated by authentic South Indian Acharyas here: I really love my copy which contains the most amazing art-work and made using 100% natural and pure materials! https://vediccosmos.com/
   
   What this essentially means is integrating more consciousness into daily life. It means self-discipline from the foundational level of our relationship with ourselves and the world, and this then allows our energy to flow easily into the next stages to achieve higher levels of consciousness, because there are karmic impacts of everything we do and we are often unaware of what is subconsciously working out in our field, because we’re not aware of our actions.
   
   Now, these definitions are very deep and should be explored under the guidance of a direct Guruji in a traditional lineage to grasp the depth and the true meaning which is not as direct as English and many definitions are also not correct. But you can get the general gist and apply it to your life for example for Saucha (purity) - purifying your room, food, recreational activities, interactions and your mind!
   
   Don’t be overwhelmed if this feels like too much of a Herculean task. Just write down a few points for each that you can bring into practice — and that’s why just a basic free flow journalling practice will help you SO much in bringing awareness to the patterns holding you back and your shadows (shadow work is now talked about a lot in new age spirituality).
   
   You will see results over time, just stick with your awareness.
   

   

7. Pranayam
   
   Pranayam is one of the rungs of Patanjali’s 8 fold path, and essentially means mastering of the life force energy (Prana). It is NOT ‘breathwork’ — this is a corporate term which directly appropriates the original knowledge of this subject and dilutes what is a very deep and interconnected understanding of mind, body and Spirit.
   
   Some basic pranayam practices can really help you to clear your channels and gain serious focus and results in meditation!
   
   It is essentially a sophisticated system of clearing the naadis, or energy pathways of the body, clearing your past traumas, blockages, and all the things that ‘get in the way’ when you sit on your meditation mat.

   
   There are many, many sorts of pranayam and you can learn very advanced, authentic practices in the system of Kriya Yoga which comes from the lineage of Lahiri Mahayasa. If there is no lineage attached to the institution its more of a business than a traditional system of yogic techniques. Although those practices can give many benefits, it’s not the real deal so be cautious of neo-Hindu celebrity Guru organisations and do your own seeking.
   
   One basic pranayam that will help you a lot is Naadi Shodhana pranayama. You can practice this easily on your own, also termed as alternate nostril breathing.
   
   

   

   
   We can explore this in more detail in a video.
   

8. Prayer
   
   Prayer is a big one, and possibly one of the most important. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, but this helps bridge you to your higher self and connect to your innate spiritual guidance system.
   
   Do you know why in Hinduism we have specific mantras to chant upon waking up, sleeping, bathing, eating, and every life activity? Because everything is a ritual. Because the divine consciousness flows through you and is you; because we purify the entire field of human experience through channelling and merging into that source energy. Through harmonising ourselves with the organic rhythm of the universe, our Earth Mother, ourselves; our perception to the cosmic nature of reality opens up. We transform entirely.
   
   A very simple thing to do before beginning your practice is just to bring your hands into prayer position at your heart. You can ask your guides, ancestors, any deity you are connected to, for support in your practice, internally or you can also speak out loud as you are comfortable. Just connect with your heart.
   
   Though English is a modern language, when we chant Sanskrit mantras with the correct pronunciation, this creates an entirely new energetic structure and a communication between our being with the cosmic intelligence.
   
   We generally first seek blessings from our Guru (Guru is inside, though the individual Guru-Shishya lineage is important, this has been lost to a large extent to corporate spirituality). We also seek blessings from our mother, father, ancestors, Kul Devta and Devi, Gram Devta and Devi, and Ishta-Devta.
   

   Most simple mantra:
   
   ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः
   Aum Shree Gurubhyo Namah
   
   Complete Guru mantra:
   
   गुरुर्ब्रह्मा ग्रुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।

   गुरुः साक्षात् परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ॥
   
   Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwara |

   Gurur Sakshat Param Brahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha ||
   
   The more you practice recitation, the easier it gets. The dormant energy within your DNA is activated and awakened.
   
   

9. Supportive aids
   
   There are various supportive aids, supplements, and plant medicines that can catalyse your healing process and provide support. For example, if you are suffering from chronic stress or depression, Ashwangandha is a wonderful Ayurvedic herb that helps to combat stress and depression, and thus supports any practice on the foundation of good health. It must be noted that physical health is the foundation for spiritual progress.
   
   Likewise, the realm of entheogenic plants is also something that is being explored more recently though entheogens have been worked with for many thousands of years by indigenous people. For example, hemp (Vijaya) is an entheogen (a sacrament for Shiva, originally) and is consumed as a Prasadi and also was revered for its massive medicinal value.
   
   

   

   
   My favourite medicinal full spectrum hemp extract comes from India Hemp Organics and assists me in sleeping well. You can use my code kamya10 for a 10% discount off all their products and book in a consultation with one of their Ayurvedic doctors to procure extract here. They can guide you further.
   
   When it comes to altered states of consciousness, remember that you can use supportive aids but the work needs to be done by you. So DON’T make it a habit to necessarily require a plant extract just to meditate. There are tons of amazing plant intelligence to explore, so assess what you really need for your healing to integrate into your daily routine and follow your intuition.

   
   

10. Physical activity
    
    Physical activity! Why did it take so long to come to this. But this is huge, and can change your whole practice. Just experiment for yourself.
    
    If you get up early in the morning, and even just do 3 Surya Namaskars at 6am or go for a walk, come back and shower, and then sit in meditation; your WHOLE practice will be on another level.
    
    This is actually why we have both Asana and Pranayama before Dhayana on the 8 fold path of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
    
    So, do some basic stretching. Even just dance in your room. Physical activity can be a meditation in itself if you’re conscious of/with your movement. Walking mindfully is an amazing practice too, and then can support your essential sitting down observation of breath practice.
    
    

11. Consistency
    
    Consistency is a big one. As we discussed earlier, it’s far better to sit in meditation 10 minutes every day than 5 hours on one day. The thing is, we run in cycles. Our days run in cycles. We go through cycles of death and rebirth. The entire universe is cyclic. And so in order to plant seeds and widen the doorway of perception, it’s necessary to find time to do your practice in some way or the other every day. We can also discuss the area of neuroplasticity and epigenetics in psychology; as modern science now slowly discovers what our ancestors explored in great detail many thousands of years ago through direct knowing. We’ll dive into some of the overlaps between modern science and ancient science in due course.

So that’s it guys! If you made it to the end, congratulations. I am so looking forward to seeing how your practice blooms and grows. We are all blooming together.

If you have further questions you can send me a DM and if you need a 1 hour zoom session for support in your self-healing journey, email me on kamya.buch@gmail.com.

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