When Meditation Doesn’t Work For You Do This

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As a private meditation teacher many people come to me saying that meditation isn’t working for them. But what I’ve come to learn is this. The truth is that the type of meditation you’re using isn’t working for you for the specific goal that you have in mind.

Those three elements are everything:

  • Type of meditation: there are many very different meditation techniques
  • You: Maybe as a unique individual you need something a little different
  • Goal: Maybe you are getting something out of meditation but it’s not what you’re looking for.

By examining each of these three factors we can determine why your meditation isn’t working as you’d like, and what to do about it. So let’s go through each part one at a time and take a closer look. But first…

Try This First

Take a moment to think back to your last meditation session. Ask yourself: What didn’t feel right? Were you anxious, bored, restless? Were you expecting peace but felt nothing? Did your mind race, or did you just want to get up and leave?

Just take a second to reflect on your last session. We’ll use that later to figure out the right direction for you.

Making Meditation Work For You

1) Pick the right technique

I wish more people understood how big of a difference different techniques make.

There are more than 50 major types of meditation and some of them have very different effects. For example, some forms of meditation involve focusing on one thing, and those techniques are excellent for concentration but will actively make you less creative. On the other hand, some meditations involve focusing on all five senses, and those techniques are ineffective for concentration but brilliant for creativity.

Do you see how some meditations are very, very different?

Here’s a snapshot of some of the different types of meditation and what they are most effective for.

Different techniques & effects

  • Focused awareness (focusing on one thing): Develops concentration and improves productivity.
  • Open monitoring: Excellent for relaxation and creativity.
  • Compassion-based methods: Help us to feel more supported and to act in prosocial ways.
  • Mindful movement: Excellent for stress relieve and for mind-body connection
  • Body Scan and somatic: The best meditations for numerous mental health conditions including anxiety.
  • There are many more. To find the best meditation for you, book a private session with me today.

2) Why Meditation Doesn’t Work For you specifically

We are all wonderfully unique human beings with unique character traits. So it’s no wonder that we all come across different challenges in meditation. 

Some of these challenges have been around for millenia. For instance, in the Sumyutta Nikaya, Buddha wrote about five hindrances that people experience when they meditate. They are (in simplified terms) wanting things, ill will, feeling tired or dull, being restless or worried, and doubting yourself or the path.

Today we understand much more about mental health, and of course there are several conditions that can make it far harder to meditate. I’ve covered many of these on this blog, such as my guide to meditating with ADHD and OCD.

For quick reference, here are some of the tips that I’ve found useful when teaching people to meditate:

  • Open your eyes a pinch
  • Make sure you have proper posture (sit up but be comfortable)
  • If it’s difficult to be still, switch to movement methods
  • Routinely remind yourself of what you’re doing (“Sitting on a chair focusing on my breath”)
  • Incorporating EFT Tapping to help stay grounded
  • And finally, you absolutely must be consistent if you want real results

The right path to your goal

Different people come to meditation for different reasons, and of course, no one meditation technique will cover for all those reasons. With that in mind, here are some of the most common reasons people come to meditation, and which techniques to use accordingly. You can learn all these methods here.

  • Stress & Anxiety Relief: Body Scan, Somatic, mindful breathing
  • Depression: Compassion meditations, open awareness and other five senses meditations, inner child healing.
  • Productivity: Zazen (principle method of Zen Buddhism), Trataka (stillness gazing)
  • General relaxation: Various guided meditations
  • Connecting to something deeper: Self Inquiry, Emptiness

What Does “Working” Even Mean?

One of the biggest blocks people face is hidden in their expectations. If you sit down to meditate and expect instant calm or enlightenment — it’s going to feel like meditation “isn’t working.”

Meditation often works slowly, and sometimes in subtle ways. You might not notice the benefits right away, but over time, you may feel less reactive, more clear-headed, or more emotionally grounded.

In other words: just because it doesn’t feel good every time doesn’t mean it’s not working.

A Simple Plan You Can Try Today

If you’re still not sure where to begin, try this:

  1. Pick one goal you care about (e.g. anxiety relief)
  2. Choose a method from the list above that matches that goal
  3. Set a timer for just 5–10 minutes.
  4. Do the practice with as little judgment as possible
  5. Afterward, reflect on it: How did it feel? Was it harder or easier than expected? Would I try that again?
  6. Try this experiment for a few days. Meditation is like trying on shoes — it often takes a few tries to find one that fits just right.

Summary

For the majority of people I’ve taught, the points above have solved their problems. By picking the right technique, understanding your own needs and adapting your meditation accordingly, and aligning your practice with your goals, you give yourself the best chance of succeeding in meditation.

This is what I specialize in: Helping people find or create the perfect meditation practice for themselves. If that sounds good to you, book a private meditation lesson with me today.