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What do you do when you want to relax but you are scared to try meditation$%:

Even though it has become a household word over the past fifty years, and the
health, emotional and spiritual benefits of meditation are well documented,
you might still feel suspicious and uneasy. You might think that by using a meditation
technique, you could be getting into some far out, dangerous experience.

If you are one of the many who are skittish about beginning to meditate, see
if one of the following reasons fuels your nervousness, and read the simple
solution below each issue.

1. You are over fifty or you grew up in a strict, perhaps fundamentalist religious
tradition. You hesitate to try meditation because of family and church attitudes and
stereotypes that you took on before meditation was widely embraced in the western
world.

Solution: Educate yourself about the benefits of meditation and the many forms
of meditation that are quite compatible with your faith and culture today. You
will almost certainly find approaches to meditation that are considered safe and
appropriate in your tradition.

2. You fear the unknown. You lack experience with processes that might take
you into uncharted territory within yourself. What monsters might you
encounter$%: What old wounds might you reopen in the quiet of meditation$%: What
disturbing thoughts might bug you if your usual mind chatter is still$%:

Solution: Find an experienced and trustworthy teacher to guide your learning
experience. A meditation instructor can help you understand that such fears
are normal, and that you will not encounter anything you are not able to handle.
It takes only a little courage to be willing to look. You will quickly discover that
these old perceptions can be released and healed. If you are receiving treatment
for serious mental health issues, ask your therapist to assist or suggest resources
to help you maintain balance in case you encounter anxiety-provoking thoughts
or images while meditating.

3. You fear your own darker nature. If you have habitually attempted to
suppress or ignore your negative impulses, you might find it frightening to
consider entering the "dark territory" of your inner awareness. You might
unconsciously worry that if you open yourself through meditation, you won't
be able to control those tightly-reined-in negative impulses.

Solution: Be aware that we all have negative tendencies. Gently accept
them and work with self-compassion to improve yourself. In the long run, this
is a healthier approach than trying to "control" these shadow sides of yourself.

Meditation can actually give you an ability to observe any negative aspects
and allow for a natural balancing and healing to take place. If you become
a neutral loving observer of yourself through meditation, you can unlock the
energy tied up in your attempts to control negativity, and greatly enhance
your process of relaxation and inner peace!