making progress because , of course , when you sit down to meditate ( and by meditating I simply mean anchoring your attention in the present-moment by watching the flow of your breath ), you will see that your thoughts don ’ t stop , so you may feel frustrated instead of calm . The trick is to stay curious about this instead of feeling that you are doing it wrong or it doesn ’ t “ work .”
Another misconception is that it is an esoteric practice , or too fringe or “ woo-woo .” Others have concerns that it requires particular religious or spiritual beliefs or orientations . These misconceptions can keep people from being open to even experimenting to see if it might be useful for them .
P : In your book you mentioned that we live in an “ antimindful culture that values multitasking and rapid shift of focus .” How can one encourage young individuals to slow down and live mindfully ? R : One of the greatest benefits of a regular mindfulness practice is that it allows us to begin to see that we all have weaknesses and strengths and differences and good days and bad days . And at the same time , we all want the same thing : to be happy and have peace of mind . This awareness can lead to greater empathy and compassion . In my mind , this is the most important element of culture change , but we can only get there one person at a time . In my experience , having worked with thousands of 20- somethings , they have the flexibility to learn these new practices and grow from them to a tremendous degree .
P : Can you share with us at least one piece of scientific evidence that offers proof as to how meditation helps children or young people cope better with stress ? R : Our randomized , controlled trial of Koru Mindfulness at Duke University found that students who practiced mindfulness for 10 minutes a day for four weeks and participated in our Koru class felt less stressed , slept better , had higher levels of mindfulness and greater self compassion — all factors that add up to a higher quality of life . That ’ s a pretty remarkable difference after only four weeks of fairly brief meditation practice .
P : You said young individuals have the tendency to experience “ grasping and aversion .” Can you expound on this and how can these two concerns be addressed ? R : We all have grasping and aversion . Both are completely normal
5 Hindrances to Meditation
Traditional Buddhist teachings on meditation identify five obstacles ( i . e ., greed , aversion , sloth or torpor , restlessness and worry ), called hindrances , to meditation . According to Rogers , the young adults she works with cite a similar group of obstacles interfering with their progress , namely : 1 . Sleepiness 2 . Restlessness 3 . Skepticism 4 . Procrastination 5 . Time Pressure
“ If you are sleepy every time you sit to meditate , your body may be telling you that you are sleep-deprived . If so , take that seriously and start getting more sleep . If you know you are getting enough sleep , try opening your eyes while you meditate , standing up or doing a walking meditation ,” Roger advises .
Procrastination , on the other hand , is quite common . “ If you notice yourself not in the mood to meditate , just stop where you are . Get as curious as you can about that feeling of not wanting to meditate . Where is it in your body ? Does it change as you watch it for a few breaths ? Being curious about the obstacle helps you move through it ,” she says .
and hard-wired into our nervous systems . It is as old evolutionarily as anything , as it is necessary for survival . In experiments looking at single-celled organisms , if you put a drop of sugar water on one side of them and a drop of vinegar on the other , they will move away from the vinegar and toward the sugar water . That ’ s grasping and aversion .
Thus , it ’ s normal and we all do it . The problem is that we develop the belief that we can make ourselves happy by constantly seeking out pleasant experiences and avoiding unpleasant ones . Firstly , we know that just doesn ’ t work . There is no way to avoid unpleasant experiences ; we are all going to have sadness , loss , boredom and anger in our lives . Secondly , the grasping never ends on its own . You will always feel the need for one more victory or shiny object to be truly happy . The way to escape this dilemma is to see the grasping and the mind ’ s unceasing desire , as well as recognize that constant grasping is the cause of unhappiness rather than the path toward happiness . n
AMIDST ALL THE STORIES of bullying and judgmental culture on social media where young people frequent , why is there an even greater need to cultivate a non-judgmental attitude ? Click here to read Rogers ’ advice .
March / April 2017 ■ PULSE 65