A common meditation myth centres on the idea that there are rules to meditating, or that there is a right way to do it, says Matthew Ferry, a spiritual teacher, happiness coach, and author of Quiet Mind Epic Life.
“New meditators feel like they must follow the structure, system, or process laid out by the teacher, or the method, to do it right,” he says. “Meditation is more art than science.”
It’s more intuitive than mechanistic, he adds, saying there is no right way or wrong way to meditate.
The attachment to spiritual goals, like inner peace, also creates confusion for those new to meditation. “The mind becomes fearful that something is wrong when the lofty goals aren’t instantly attainable,” Ferry says.
The truth is there are no rules to meditation. That’s why there are so many different types of meditation.