Hindrances in Meditation (part 1, English)

One of the most beautiful things to do during summer is outdoor meditation.

Just imagine: the warm air surrounding you, a breeze of air on your skin, the sound of birds and scents of flowers blooming.

However, most people tell me that they cannot meditate. There mind is much too busy.

And – believe it or not – getting to understand that you are not in control of your mind is quite a deep insight.

2500 years ago this was called ‘seeing the waterfall’. In modern language we call it seeing the ‘mental highway’.

Waterfall or not, Highway or not, our minds are busy. And the problem is mostly not the busy mind, it is how we relate to it and how we see it.

Being able to see clearly, being able to gain clarity of mind requires to look at what is happening. However uncomfortable this might be.

And once you start to understand the workings of your mind, you actually will gain some peace, calm, tranquility, joy and even wisdom.

In Insight Meditation (Vipassana) that which obscures our minds from seeing clearly are traditionally called the five hindrances.

Over the next weeks, I will in short videos explore these five hindrances called:

But here is how to work with these hindrances in meditation and no, it is not a secret and it is not that difficult.

It simply is acknowledging whatever is present.