Meditation Obstacles

Meditation is inherently simple but not easy. The more you do it, the more you will become aware of things that seems to hinder you. It is not that doing it creates more obstacles, but that doing makes you more aware of things in general, including the obstacles and resistance you bring to your meditation practice.
The classic meditation obstacles, affectionately called ‘hindrances’ in meditation terminology are:
- Dullness (sleepiness)
- Restlesness (from boredom, pain or an agitated mind)
- Negativity (simply the natural balance for over optimism)
- Desire (wanting to reject the moment we are in and jump to a better moment)
- Doubt (thinking no progress is happening or possible)
- Aversion (wanting to be doing something else)
These hindrances (meditation obstacles) will definitely arise, so accept them as inevitable and wait them to disperse. Later, you will find specific meditation practices to help you accept or let go these meditation obstacles, should they persist. It is worth remembering, however, that hindrances are not signs of spiritual failure, but opportunities to acquaint us with our mental landscape. They are not enemies but doors into greater levels of insight.
Going back to the above meditation obstacles, desire warrants some further explanation. First, desire forces your mind into fantasy mode, because the moment you see or perceive something you want, you will fantasize about what you could do with it, or how it will enhance your pleasure or add to your self-esteem. For example, you might desire extra money. Why? Because you imagine all the things you could buy with it. As a result, your mind is forced into fantasy about the future, even though you do not yet have that money to fulfill the fantasy.
The other problem with desire is that one fulfilled desire can spawn a hundred more, because desire is inherently insatiable.
To make progress it is not necessary to be renunciate, as required of a monk. But it is question of degree. The message is: The simpler your needs, tha easier it is to overcome meditation obstacles and the easier it is to keep your mind in the present.
So, what if you are living a busy life in the material world? Does it mean there is no point in even trying? On the contrary, meditation might be difficult at first, but it will gradually disentangle your thought patterns, help you identify the trivial and offer a clear perspective on life. Finally you can overcome your meditation obstacles, even in a very busy life.