Why Can't I Meditate?

The question in the title will be familiar to anyone who has undertaken a meditation practice and struggled with keeping themselves on track in everyday life after the original weekend seminar. This means incorporating mindfulness practice as an everyday habit and prioritising it over other pressing activities. The author has some experience of this himself and draws on that of other teachers and meditators in a series of interviews. I think this is the first book of its kind, and contains a wealth of practical advice as well as being highly recommended by respected practitioners. Various kinds of resistance are discussed, including the sense of vulnerability and the necessity to meet oneself as one really is, especially on an emotional level and in relation to wounds from the past that have not been resolved. The reader is advised simply to be present in such circumstances and aware of defence mechanisms arising from one's temperament and background. The practice can also challenge core beliefs and bring one more directly to a realisation of impermanence - especially in relation to the ego. The underlying process is one of growth towards greater wisdom, kindness and compassion, including self-compassion, as both Paul Gilbert and Jon Kabat-Zinn suggest. At the end, there is a quick fix chart for the struggling meditator summarising many of the insights of this valuable and helpful book.