January 5, 2023 - Eric Liddel, Evening by RWM Education

Week 1 of a series of 8 introductory meditation classes held at the Eric Liddel Community Centre in Edinburgh on January 5, 2023 on behalf of Meditation Edinburgh. More information at https://meditation-edinburgh.com.

Main takeaway: You CAN meditate. There is a widespread misunderstanding about meditation and even people who have been doing it for decades often believe they can't do it, or that they are bad at it. This is simply a misunderstanding. Meditation is not about having some superhuman ability to hold perfect concentration. That WOULD be hard. Instead it is a process of experiencing small moments of focus, often. In between we get distracted.

Other takeaways: Getting distracted, and then noticing you have been distracted by the mind - is part of the meditation. A very important and useful part.
Each time we notice we have been distracted and then refocus our focus we are developing skills - the skill of awareness of our own mind, and the skill of being able to redirect our attention wherever we want. This is a superpower.
One of the things we are doing in meditation is simply becoming more familiar with our own mind. Indeed one of the Eastern terms for meditation is often translated as meaning - to become familiar. At first glance our mind can be a little scary. The very first thing we often discover in meditation is that our minds are not as under our control as we might have thought they are.