Difficulties that hinder progress in meditation and our lives
Seven difficulties encountered in practice:
Too tired to practice
Drowsiness during practice (thīna-middha): Heaviness of body and dullness of mind
Too busy to practice
Restlessness-and-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca): The inability to calm the mind
Craving (kāmacchanda): The particular type of wanting that seeks for happiness through the physicality of sight, sound, smell, taste
Aversion (vyāpāda): All kinds of thought related to wanting to reject; i.e. feelings of hostility, resentment, hatred or bitterness
Doubt (vicikicchā): Lack of conviction or trust
These difficulties are Universal, meaning that we all experience them, but what to do about them may need a little exploration. The primary instruction in working with each one of these is to turn them into your meditation object and investigate them in of themselves. For example, if attention is taken away from the breath in a meditation practice by sensations of sleepiness, our attention turns toward the sleepiness itself, exploring this either in replacement of the breath, or with the breath in the background.
How do I investigate the difficulty?
When we notice one of the hinderances arising, we may start by investigating it. Often this investigation is enough for it to fall away. This examination may be broken down by using the RAIN Formula:
R: Recognise it
A: Accept it
I: Investigate it, be curious. What is the direct experience of it like?
Physically (How does it feel in Body? Is it pleasant? Unpleasant? Does it change, move?)
Emotionally
Energetically (such as feelings of rushing, sinking or lifting)
Cognitively (What beliefs or stories are linked with the sensations?)
Motivationally (is there an urge to act, to cling to or to push away?)
N: Non-identification. Recognising that this is just a passing set of conditions that come and go, and not inherent to who we are
What matters most is not whether a difficulty is present or not, but whether you are aware of it!
Of particular importance is observing your relationship to the difficulty which is arising. It is important to cultivate a curious, interested, friendly relationship with the difficulty, rather than a resistive or adversarial one. Equally, if we notice a difficulty dissipate, observing any clinging or attachment that we may develop to this more peaceful state. Reminding ourselves that this too will change can be a helpful message to sit with, whatever it is we find.
“...this too will change”
Now that we have a method of investigating a difficulty as it arises, let’s look into the seven difficulties, or hinderances, of our meditation practice in more detail.
Too tired to practice
The nature of our busy lives can often lead people to complain that they cannot get up earlier, or feel too tired to practice in the evening. Mindfulness training will help you be calmer and less reactive and therefore, better at dealing with stress in your life -which reduces tiredness. Do your best to practice either 40 minutes a day or 20 minutes twice a day, morning and evening, for a week and see how energised you can feel!
Drowsiness during practice
We want to develop a mind that is both tranquil and alert. Too much tranquility without alertness and we’re in dreamland.
Drowsiness refers to heaviness of body and dullness of mind. This includes sluggishness, low energy, sleepiness, lethargy. Nothing is clear. The mind feels heavy and dull or dreamy. This state can feel comfortable and pleasant and is sometimes called “sinking mind.” It can be a form of procrastination– we know we’re not being mindful, but it’s nice here …we can be mindful later… Sometimes drowsiness is a reaction to the constant chronic habit of tension and anxiety, or being chronically excited and driven. With years of that kind of stress, when people finally stop, they feel the exhaustion of this chronic tension. For some people drowsiness is a transition they have to go through, like coffee withdrawal.
It’s important to differentiate between drowsiness and the need for sleep. You can test this by using a favourite fantasy or memory, if the sleepiness goes away or weakens, the need for sleep may not be present. If the following remedies do not work, take a nap, but don’t do this every time drowsiness arises, this will create a habit. Try to always investigate the drowsiness before napping – even if it’s for only one minute.
No matter how weak or strong drowsiness is, mindful attention, such as through use of the RAIN formula, is the first point of call. Other ways to counter the hinderance are described below.
Counterbalances / Remedies
The first thing to do when lethargy creeps in, is to recognise it. Next is to consciously intend to put a little more effort into staying mindful. The diagram above reminds us to check-in with: Our Intention to practice; where our Attention is in this moment; the Attitude that we are bringing to our practice. Let's explore this a little further.
Intention to practice:
Remind yourself why you meditate, what are your highest goals
Contemplate on something or someone who inspires you towards a mindfulness practice or set the tone of your practice by doing things that inspire you before sitting, such as reading a passage from a book
For some, thinking about death can be helpful: life is uncertain, death is certain, right now is the best opportunity for meditation. This works if it arouses you, and doesn’t depress you, it’s not for everyone…
Attention:
The mind likes to have something to do, when it doesn’t it is in the habit of getting drowsy.
Broaden the focus, give the mind more to be mindful of.
Pay attention to details more closely
Attitude:
What attitudes am I bringing to my practice and can I rejuvenate some of the 7 attitudes of mindfulness? For example, when something is new it can be exciting, novelty energises us. Can we look at our life, or our meditation, with a 'beginner's mind' so that we can see our ordinary experience newly each moment?
In exploring our attitude, we may notice resistance, that we don’t want to pay attention, we don’t want to be here. It can be resistance to unpleasant states or it can be a protective mechanism, of a deep memory or feeling
In exploring our attitude, we may notice complacency. Drowsiness can set in out of complacency. It’s nice here. Sometimes meditation is a challenge or a struggle. It’s quite pleasant now…even though I’m dreamy… It can lull you into not making any more effort
Lack of Energy
As in daily life, in meditation, a lack of direction causes a lack of energy. Sometimes there is the mistaken idea that a meditative state should be passive instead of active. Being relaxed and calm is sometimes overemphasised. Diligence, energy, ardency, vigorous active engagement, are all necessary
Energy has to be directed. Committing to a goal gives the mind direction, such as committing to being mindful for the next 10 breaths. Effort often begets effort. When we apply ourselves there might be resistance initially, but after a while of making the effort and doing it, something happens and it begins to feel effortless. Like peddling a bicycle hard, and then coasting
Our thoughts can increase our energy or decrease it. Some thoughts can drain us, such as worrying, planning, regretting…Thoughts of discouragement/failure. Focusing on failures or feared failures drains our energy. Thinking “there’s 20 minutes left” can be discouraging. Being mindful for just the next breath is bite size
Physicality
Avoid overeating before meditation, it tends to make us tired and sleepy
Adjust your posture. Where the body goes the mind follows. Keeping an alert and erect spine will support your mental activity. It can be helpful to sit without back support so as Body reminds Mind that it has some work to do. Alternatively, stand up (standing meditation), or start a walking meditation (outdoors may be helpful). If already doing a walking meditation, try walking backwards
Take a few deep breaths
Open your eyes. Light has a wakening effect:, look at a lightbulb, a candle, the moonlight, or imagine a white light in the forehead area. In general, focusing on head increases energy, focusing on belly calms
Learning to notice and understand drowsiness and the other disturbances such as restlessness, are essential to developing a mind that is both tranquil and alert. Noticing these hindrances is not a failure. They are part of the process of understanding the differing levels of mind. As we become more familiar with them, we then have more choice of how to work with them
Too busy to practice
We all have time pressures, but if you think carefully about how you use your time you will probably find that there are activities you could change or cut out from your daily routine even if just for the short term. How much time do you spend on social media or watching television? Write out a plan for your day and try to use your time wisely. Often what we are want for i.e. “more time to meditate” is not what we are asking for “more time in the day”. By looking carefully at what we do in a day, we may find we can prioritise things differently and are able to cut out the time wasters and low priority activities. Equally, sometimes, we follow routines that are unhelpful. For example, we can be a little too rigid about when to get up or go to bed. The invitation is to start experimenting. If you are currently enrolled in the eight-week program, it is because you want to experience change in your life. Begin by changing your daily routine and make time for what is important to you and start noticing what this can do for your life.
Restlessness and worry
The opposite of drowsiness is restlessness and worry. Restlessness is a feeling of agitation or over-excitement. Restlessness is unpleasant, so there is a tendency of Mind to push it away, to not want it there. The irony is that restlessness is only strengthened by struggling against it. Restlessness of Mind tends to show itself in restlessness in Body for example, in meditation, by wanting to shift positions, by moving to scratch that itch, by tightness and tension.
Restlessness can take different forms: worry, planning, physical restlessness, self-judgment, regret of the past, nervousness, remorse, anxiety, resistance to being still. Suppressed emotions can also be a source of restlessness. When we don’t pay attention to our emotions as they arise, we tend to either act them out or suppress them. Suppressed emotions can often simmer underneath unnoticed, announcing themselves through restlessness when we are finally still.
Our Western bodies and minds like stimulation. When stimulation is low, it can feel slightly unpleasant, unfamiliar. We tend to call that “boredom” and we often want it to go away. To be relieved of boredom, the mind has a nifty tool –worry. Through worrying about this or that, we feel we are doing something and immediately feel more comfortable (despite worry’s long-term negative physiological and psychological effects).
Mental or physical restlessness can be unpleasant but our practice is to try to stay with it and experience it without getting caught up in the content of its story. Don’t resist it. Don’t be in a rush to get rid of it. Instead be interested in it. It has a lot to teach us!
No matter how weak or strong Restlessness is, mindful attention, such as through use of the RAIN formula, is the first point of call. Other ways to counter the hinderance are described below.
Counterbalances / Remedies
Concentration: When restlessness seems too strong to simply observe, try counting your breaths, until the mind comes back to balance. Concentration cultivates calm and tranquility.
Exercise: Lack of exercise can cause a physical restlessness we often don’t recognise, especially among those of us who are mostly sedentary. We may also benefit from doing a moving meditation such as yoga or walking prior to sitting, in order to slow the mind in a more graded way.
Too much coffee or other stimulants can also cause a physical restlessness. For many of us, it’s probably not a good idea to sit and meditate after drinking coffee.
Distinguish between simply noting an experience arising that is contributing to restlessness, such as an itch (itching is occurring, say) versus identifying with it (I’m itchy). In this way, the itch does not belong to you, rather it belongs to Body.
Compassion: Offering loving kindness towards oneself in moments where restlessness arrises inclines the mind to kindness and acceptance.
Smiling: A practice sometimes used for the cultivation of happiness is smiling. In this way, the invitation is to greet what ever arises in meditation practice with a half smile, as if to say “darling, there you are, come, let me be with you”.
Broaden the Focus: One can shift the attention from using the breath as an anchor to listening to sounds or a global sense of the body. By expanding the focus outward, the mind can feel less constricted.
Sitting still: Just by sitting still and not moving, the mind itself begins to quiet. It’s like taking a glass of dirty water and shaking it. At first the water is murky, but after a while, the particles settle at the bottom.
Bargaining: When restlessness is overpowering, sometimes skilful “bargaining” can be useful. “I’ll just pay close attention to the next 5 breaths and then make an active choice of how to proceed”.
Craving
Craving becomes a hinderance to our meditation practice when we want something and grasp for it, cling to it. It could be either harmful to us such as a craving for a cigarette or inappropriate for us at this time such as wanting to eat while meditating. Craving can creep into the very practice of meditation itself through striving and craving for certain pleasant bodily sensations or feelings of relaxation, perhaps coupled with a feeling that “ah now I’m meditating ‘properly”. In this way it can be pervasive and only fuel our Western, goal-oriented approach to life, hindering us from reaping the fruits of the practice.
No matter how weak or strong craving is, mindful attention, such as through use of the RAIN formula, is the first point of call. Other ways to counter the hinderance are described below.
Counterbalances / remedies
If desiring something that is harmful to us, we may spend some moments on the consequences of getting what we want. For example if craving a burger, reflecting on the possible effects of high blood pressure. If we desire something relating to our meditation practice itself, such as pleasant physical sensations when doing the body scan practice or we notice an inclination to cling to any particular experience wishing it to stay, we can take an interest in the constant flux of sensations in our experience and notice the impermanent nature of all events, experiencing that pleasant or unpleasant, this too will change.
Aversion
Aversion is the resistance of events as they are. It can range from a very subtle pushing something away to intense hatred or anger.
Sometimes aversion of something can be so deeply ingrained that it goes unnoticed, as a fish swimming in water doesn’t notice the water. Use of ‘should and shouldn’t’ are signs of resisting our experience, whether it is related to our meditation practice or to parts of ourselves.
No matter how weak or strong aversion is, mindful attention, such as through use of the RAIN formula, is the first point of call. Other ways to counter the hinderance are described below.
Counterbalances / remedies
Narrow your field of awareness: Increase your concentration, such as counting each out breath up to 10 before starting again.
Broaden your field of awareness: Such as to listen to sounds, or experience the body globally.
Balance your focus: Aversion is often due to biased attention when the irritating, unpleasant or repulsive feature of something receives undue attention. For example, if we dislike someone, rather than attending to their negative qualities we can pay attention to more neutral or positive merits. (This applies to ourselves as well.) In the case of a difficult situation, we could ask “what might I learn from this situation?” In the case of unpleasant physical sensations, we may open to notice more neutral or even pleasant attributes of the sensation itself, or other areas of Body, such as warmth or tingling.
Pain: It’s helpful to notice the difference between the sensations of pain, and our aversion and emotional reaction to it. See the blog post part 1 and part 2 for more about how mindfulness can help with pain.
Compassion: If you are being harsh with yourself or someone else, you may experiment with sending wishes of goodwill to that person. If anger is a significant issue in your life, the regular practice of Loving kindness can be very helpful and has a scientific, neurophysiological basis.
A moment to talk about Fear. Fear is having aversion of something that hasn’t yet happened.
“My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened” - Michel de Montaigne
Being in Body is very important for working with fear. If it is appropriate, allow yourself to be with the experience, allowing space for it to Be just as it is. If you have the luxury of time for dealing with the fear, as you might during formal meditation, or on retreat, a great deal can be learned.
Change your focus: If fear is not manageable, sometimes it’s appropriate to counterbalance with a change in focus. e.g.: Public Speaking – focus on what the audience needs to know instead of your desire for the talk to be successful. If you are hiking on a scary path, and you have no choice, narrow your focus to what’s right in front of you, not the drop 1,000 feet down.
Doubt
It is said that doubt, is the most dangerous of the difficulties, as it is the one that can cause a person to give up their practice. We can have doubt in our ability to practice "can I do this", “am I doing this right?”, or doubt of the practice or the teachings "Is this the right way?”. Doubt is a state of indecision that doesn’t allow us to fully apply ourselves and causes us to hold back. Doubt interrupts the gathering of data with premature questions; it interferes with the process of seeing.
Doubt is not productive or useful, it drains us or disconnects us. It keeps us unwilling to apply ourselves.
“To have doubt about mindfulness, of the value and importance of just being mindful, borders on having doubt about the value of being present for life in general, because mindfulness and being present for life is the same thing.” -Gil Fronsdal
No matter how weak or strong doubt is, mindful attention, such as through use of the RAIN formula, is the first point of call. Other ways to counter the hinderance are described below.
Counterbalances / Remedies
The most important thing about working with doubt is to learn to recognise it when it arises, and to put it aside while we meditate. We can deal with our questions outside of meditation practice.
If doubt is persistent, we can work with this hindrance by gathering clear instructions, talking with those we respect who practice and being willing to suspend our doubt until we have tested the practice and seen for ourselves. We can study more, understand what we're doing, maybe there’s a good reason why we have doubt, maybe we haven’t really understood the basic premise, the ideas, the teachings well enough to really want to apply ourselves.
In this technological age, we expect instant results, we have little patience and trust necessary in order to allow natural processes to evolve. Perhaps we have not practiced long enough to understand the instructions for practice well enough and so have reasons to have doubt. "How should I practice? What should I do? When should I do it?" So sometimes doubt is resolved by reflecting on what questions we have, and learning more or coming and talking to a teacher and exploring it with them.
If one really understands the value of one moment through one’s own direct experience of it, perhaps one will not be plagued by doubt.