(2) Lack of Patience Many people keep changing meditation techniques without trying them for a sufficient period of time. Often they get dissatisfied with one meditation technique very soon and switched to another one. In short, they expect quick results and lack patience. Please keep in mind that every new thing takes time. Meditation is a kind of catharsis. It is a deep cleansing process. Our real identity - self is covered under the dust of thoughts, dreams, illusions and emotions of thousands of years spanning uncountable past lives. The removal of this dust and the revelation of our true self will take time. Patience is extremely important in meditation. Do not change meditation techniques too frequently. As I have already described that the central theme in all meditation techniques is to know the self- the eternal witness in us. Different meditation techniques have been developed for different people based on their past lives, present cir tances and intrinsic nature . For some people a majority of all meditation techniques are suitable whereas for some only a few techniques will work. IT will take sometime to find which meditation technique is best for you

(3) Expecting Too Much: People expect too much from meditation. They expect a huge positive development in their life owing to meditation. For them meditation is also like a work or investment whose fruit should come in a time bound manner. Please don't consider meditation as a portfolio investment. It is not a materialistic mode of profit/loss. Meditation, by itself, is a gift. Do not stick any expectation to it. Once you start meditating , in all likelihood, you will like to meditate again and again for the sheer bliss and peace it'll bring in your life. However, only those can experience this bliss and peace who do not expect too much from meditation. Meditation is a way to know your real self. Let meditation be just that. Don't make it a way to achieve super human qualities.

(4) A Very Busy Life : Most people do not take sincere efforts for meditating. A majority of those people who meditate: > do not meditate regularly > have a very busy daily schedule and often miss meditation. > even when find sometime to meditate, are so tired and tense owing to their extremely busy and demanding life that can't meditate properly. Friend you must realize that life in 21st century in not a relaxed age by any standard. On any particular day, we are required to deal with so many things that the tension and stress of doing all those things really break us. Our nervous system is called upon to work overtime because of the endless stimuli coming at us relentlessly from every direction. Making the matter worse are tensions of urban life such as street noise, traffic jams, radio, more than 100 TV Channels running 24 hours a day, telephones, mobile , DVDs, work deadlines, demands on every minutes, constant distraction and of course stiff competition. All this adds up to total exhaustion of body and mind. In such a situation, unless we do something to create a suitable environment in our life for meditation, it will be very difficult for us to meditate and draw some actual benefits from it. Though Meditation can be done by anybody, anywhere, here is the ideal condition for meditation: A healthy, completely relaxed and energetic body eager to meditate regularly.

Though it seems difficult to have such an ideal body for meditation in the present era of tension, stress, nervousness and hectic schedules; with the able help of three yogic aids of deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction we can easily make this ideal condition a reality of our life. By adopting three good habits of deep breathing, deep relaxation and deep contraction in our life we can have the strongest foundation of indomitable health and a overflowing abundance of physical and mental energy at our disposal. No matter how busy and demanding our life is, with the help of these three aids, we can not only manage our life easily but also ensure a steady spiritual growth through regular meditation session. In the next chapter I am going to tell you in detail about these wonderful yogic aids in meditation.