Raise Your Hand if You Can’t Meditate!

There are lots of reasons that keep us from meditating—a busy schedule, feeling like our mind is too scattered to quiet (that's okay, by the way), finding it boring, or sometimes struggling to visualize images in our mind's eye in a world where so much meditation is based on visual cues.

If you're the latter, this post is for you.

People visualize differently.

Picture an apple. What comes to mind? Some people see a vivid, specific apple (maybe you pictured a Granny Smith instead of a Cosmic Crisp—my recent favorite). Others see more of a 2-D cartoon, either in color or black and white. And some people see nothing at all. That doesn't mean they can't understand the concept of an apple. It just means they can't picture it. The inability to create mental images is called aphantasia.

Many traditional meditation practices use visualization to guide you. But if you're someone who struggles to visualize, that can leave you feeling lost in an imaginary world.

One thing to try is incorporating more senses besides sight. If you're trying to picture a beach, instead of focusing on what you see, focus on what you hear, smell, and feel. Imagine running the sand through your fingers. Do you hear seagulls, waves crashing, children playing, or an ice cream truck in the distance? Can you smell the salty air?

Notice whether focusing on different senses makes meditation easier. As someone who doesn't visualize easily, I've found that engaging my other senses actually helps me visualize a little. I don't get a crystal-clear picture like some people do. It's more like the idea of an image, or as if I'm seeing it out of the corner of my eye.

You can also try visualizing with your eyes open. Some people find it easier to form a mental image that way.

For someone who can't visualize, sitting there trying to force the issue is frustrating and can make you feel like you're failing at meditation. So try not to try so hard. Don't worry about whether you get a picture.

And remember, visualization is only one form of meditation. You can repeat a mantra, focus on your breath, or do a body scan. There isn't just one right way to meditate.

Even if you never become a meditator, you'll probably learn something about yourself in the process. And that's almost always worth the journey.