“I can’t meditate.”

I hear some version of this surprisingly often.

Usually, what someone means is that they’ve tried sitting quietly, focusing on their breath, and stopping their thoughts—and it didn’t go particularly well. Their mind wandered. They got restless. They started thinking about dinner. And eventually they concluded: I’m just not a meditator.

But what if the problem isn’t you?

What if your definition of meditation is simply too narrow?

Meditation doesn’t have to look one particular way

Formal seated meditation is a beautiful practice. Sitting quietly and bringing your attention to the breath, a mantra, sensations in the body, or another point of focus has been practiced for centuries for good reason.

I practice and teach formal meditation myself.

But it’s not the only doorway into meditation.

Sometimes meditation looks like sitting beneath a juniper tree and feeling the wind move across your skin.

It can be listening closely enough to notice individual bird calls. Watching grasses move in the breeze. Feeling the warmth of the sun on your face. Noticing the smell of damp earth after rain.

The important part isn’t simply being outside.

It’s paying attention.

Nature gives us something to pay attention to

One reason I love guiding meditation outdoors in Sedona is that nature gives our awareness somewhere to go.

Instead of struggling to make your mind blank—which, incidentally, is not the goal—you can become curious about what is happening right now.

What can you hear?

What do you feel against your skin?

What is moving?

What happens when you stop labeling everything you see and simply look?

There can be a subtle shift when we give ourselves enough time to do this. We stop thinking quite so much about our experience and begin actually having the experience.

That can be meditation.

Maybe you’re already closer than you think

If traditional meditation has never clicked for you, I wouldn’t be too quick to decide that you “can’t meditate.”

Maybe sitting with your eyes closed and following your breath isn't your easiest doorway.

Maybe yours is walking slowly.

Listening.

Watching clouds.

Feeling your feet against the earth.

Sitting quietly beside a tree.

Or simply giving yourself ten minutes in which you don’t need to accomplish anything at all.

There are many ways into stillness and awareness.

Part of what I love about my work with Sedona Meditation Experiences is helping people explore those different doorways—especially people who arrive convinced that they’re not very good at meditation.

You may not need to get better at meditation.

You may simply need to discover your way in.

Curious about exploring meditation in nature?
My Sedona meditation experiences are designed for experienced meditators, complete beginners, and everyone in between.
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