I’ve heard meditation compared to juggling: you have to try not to try. Once you start trying and thinking about how to juggle or how you’re doing, the balls will fall right out of the air.
You’re seeking a state of flow, which can’t be achieved by thinking about it or trying harder. Often, our proudly secular Western culture has a hard time practicing meditation as a practice in itself… we feel like we need to do something concrete—something “real”—and we don’t have time for that spiritual/philosophical mumbo-jumbo. Sitting with just my breath and my thoughts is fucking terrifying—who knows what kinds of monsters I have chained up?
For the first time, I’m getting used to the idea of meditating… and being proud of it. I finally believe that I will be able to embrace meditation as a practice in itself one day in the future and I am very much looking forward to that day.