Who Can Practice Meditation and Who Cannot?
As mentioned in the previous section, during meditation, you are entirely present in the current moment. You observe only what is unfolding right now. It is like standing before a mirror. The mirror reflects what is in front of it—be it a face or an object. When there is nothing in front of it, the mirror still exists, but it reflects nothing. This state was termed as “A-Man” (No-Mind) by Sage Patanjali—a mind that exists but does not operate as a conventional mind. In meditation, the effort is to transform the mind into a mirror, reflecting situations as they arise without clinging to them. When there is nothing to reflect, the mind becomes void, or empty.
To understand this better, consider an example: Imagine someone says something unpleasant or you witness an incident that angers or disturbs you. Often, despite your efforts to control yourself, you lash out or react strongly. At other times, you suppress your emotions, unable to express your anger. In both cases, whenever you encounter the person or a similar situation, your mind reminds you of the previous experience. Without deliberation, anger wells up within you again, because the memory of the event has taken root in your mind. This unresolved memory often haunts you, even when the individual is no longer present or the incident is long over. You find yourself consumed by questions—”Why did they say this to me?” “Why did this happen?” “What was my fault?” Eventually, you arrive at the conclusion that the other person is wrong and that their thinking was flawed, filling you with resentment and negativity.
Why do such thoughts linger in your mind? Let us delve deeper.
The Mind as a Storage
Your mind has become a machine—memorizing lessons, formulas, answers, and habits, much like a textbook. Repeatedly, you are told to make actions or thoughts a habit. Over time, words or events get stored in your mind like chapters in a book.
Thousands of events and memories, both wanted and unwanted, accumulate in your mental space without you even realizing it. Your mind, brimming with such clutter, becomes overburdened.
What is the mind? It can be likened to an infinite storage room or a towering mountain of ice. A glacier serves as an apt metaphor: as time passes, your experiences, memories, and thoughts accumulate like falling snow, building the mountain higher and higher. When turbulent emotions like anger or anxiety strike, the “ice” melts into a storm, unsettling you and often those around you. Continuous accumulation of such “ice” leads to physical and mental health issues. This is the root cause of conditions like anxiety, depression, overthinking, and insomnia. Such individuals find themselves overrun by negativity, restless sleep, recurring dreams, and a mind fixated on flaws rather than accepting reality.
When such individuals turn to social media in search of solutions, they often encounter advice to practice yoga or physical exercises. While these practices have merit, many fail to address the mental state that prevents them from fully engaging with such exercises.
Why Meditation May Not Work for Everyone Initially
Many modern approaches advocate meditation as a solution for mental unrest. People are advised to sit in meditation, allow thoughts to arise, and gradually shift their focus away from these thoughts toward stillness. Over time, it is said, the torrent of thoughts will diminish, eventually leading to complete silence within. It is at this moment that the true journey of meditation begins.
However, attempting to block the flow of thoughts or suppress the mind’s natural activity often intensifies the turbulence. The river of thoughts flows even faster when obstructed. Therefore, for those suffering from depression, anxiety, overthinking, or insomnia, diving directly into meditation can exacerbate their struggles. Instead, it is essential to begin with preparatory practices, such as breathwork and Trataka (focused gazing). Only after establishing a foundation with these practices should one transition to meditation.
Who Can Start Meditation Directly?
Those who are mentally and physically healthy, who live in the present moment, and who possess a balanced temperament with minimal anger or worry, can begin meditation directly. Such individuals often engage in regular yoga or exercise, breathe naturally, and maintain a harmonious inner state. For them, meditation becomes a seamless extension of their routine.
When you focus on your breath during meditation, you anchor yourself in the present moment. Breathing is synonymous with life: inhaling signifies taking in life energy, while exhaling represents release. As you focus on your breath, it naturally deepens and lengthens, drawing you into a meditative state. Since breathing occurs only in the present, it keeps you grounded in the “now.” In this state, your mind ceases to dwell on the past or future—the primary sources of disturbance. The mind transitions into a state of A-Man (No-Mind), as the present moment offers no room for unnecessary thoughts or worries. This is why spirituality emphasizes living fully in the present.
A Caution for Those with Mental Health Struggles
As discussed earlier, meditation can intensify challenges for those dealing with depression, anxiety, or overthinking. Why this happens, and what alternatives exist, will be explored in the next section. Stay tuned for insights that may reveal something entirely new and transformative.
