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Is Meditation about Faking Positivity?

Feeling stressed? Meditate. Can’t quiet your racing thoughts? Meditate. Unsure of your life’s direction? Meditate. For many of us, meditation has become a go-to solution for navigating life’s challenges, offering a way to calm the mind and make clearer, more informed decisions.

But is the ultimate goal of meditation to maintain a “positive” mindset at all times? Or are we simply pretending to be positive by meditating? Read on to find out more.

“Maintaining a positive mindset can be a powerful tool for navigating life’s challenges, offering us a clearer perspective and the ability to appreciate the joys along our journey.”

Maintaining a positive mindset can be a powerful tool for navigating life’s challenges, offering us a clearer perspective and the ability to appreciate the joys along our journey. While meditation can certainly support this effort, some people wonder if it is possible to fake positivity through meditation.

If the goal of meditation is solely to put on a happy face, could this ultimately take a toll on our mental health? After all, repressing negative emotions can lead to negative consequences.

In this article, we’ll explore this question from three perspectives and shed light on the true benefits of meditation beyond just positivity.

1. Meditation Bottles Up Your Real Emotions 

Meditation does not have to cause your emotions to pile up. In fact, meditation can help you become more aware of your emotions and build a healthy connection to them.

In meditation, you practice being present in the moment, which can help you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. This awareness can help you recognise and acknowledge your feelings instead of suppressing them.

Meditation can also help you develop an inner sense of calmness and tranquilly that can help you better regulate your emotions. Instead of suppressing your emotions, meditation can help you learn to notice them without judgement so that you can respond to them more constructively.

However, it is important to note that meditation is not a substitute for seeking professional help if you are experiencing overwhelming emotions or mental health problems. It can be a useful tool for coping with emotions but should be used in conjunction with other forms of support as needed.

2. Meditation Leads to Unrealistic Beliefs

Meditation does not always have to lead to false beliefs, but it is important to be aware of the possibility that people may develop unrealistic expectations or beliefs about meditation.

Meditation is a scientifically proven practice with numerous benefits, including stress and anxiety reduction, improved attention and concentration, and improved emotional regulation. However, it is important to recognize that meditation is not an answer for all of life’s problems and challenges.

Some people begin meditation with unreasonable expectations or beliefs, such as expecting quick or dramatic results, believing that it can solve all of their problems, or believing that it is a magical solution to all of life’s challenges. When the benefits of meditation do not meet their expectations, these beliefs can lead to disappointment or disillusionment.

It is crucial to begin meditation with a realistic and open mind, recognizing that it is a practice that requires time and work to develop and that its benefits may vary from person to person.

3. Meditation Gives Untrue Impression

Meditation does not create false perception. Meditation is a practice that has been thoroughly researched and has shown a variety of benefits, including stress and anxiety reduction, improved attention and concentration, and improved emotional regulation.

While meditation can be a great tool for personal growth and well-being, it is important to approach meditation realistically and with an open mind. Meditation is not a miracle cure or a quick fix for all of life’s problems. It is a practise that requires time, effort, and commitment to develop, and the benefits may vary from person to person.

To understand the potential benefits and limitations of meditation, it is important to approach meditation with a healthy dose of scepticism and rely on trusted sources of information such as scientific studies or trusted meditation teachers.

In summary, meditation is not about faking positivity. While some people misunderstand or misrepresent meditation as a method of suppressing or denying bad feelings and thoughts, the fundamental purpose of meditation is to cultivate mindfulness and awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings, including both positive and negative experiences.

People who meditate regularly can develop greater emotional resilience and learn to respond to difficult events in a more balanced and grounded way. This does not mean being cheerful or repressing negative emotions but learning to recognize and accept them without being overwhelmed or reactive.

Meditation can help people become more aware of their mental and emotional habits, leading to a deeper sense of inner peace, contentment, and well-being. However, it is important to approach meditation with a realistic and open mind, realizing that it is a practice that takes time and effort to develop, and that its benefits may vary from person to person.

We would be happy to guide you on your journey towards personal growth and self-discovery. To take the next step, reach out to us at hello@iammichaelteh.com or connect with us on social media @iammichaelteh. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Michael Teh, 11th May 2023.

Michael Teh is a meditation coach devoted to a personal mission of awakening more people to higher consciousness. He teaches self-realization through meditation, qigong, yoga and philosophy.

Michael Teh Signature Workshop: The Essence of Life Series explores meditation as a powerful tool to realize our true potential. Michael has designed multiple workshops in this series to support his participants’ self-realization journey. Workshop Series 1 is currently running every few months on-ground in Kuala Lumpur, titled “Knowledge of The Self and Fundamentals of Meditation”.

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