Guided Meditation Online - Can We Trust The Internet?
We live in a world where the internet offers instant gratification for every human desire. But what if that same convenience can lead people astray?
It's a question that many modern meditators must wrestle with. These are people who have taken an interest in mindfulness and want to learn more about it, yet they're unsure if the information shared on the internet is credible.
In this post, we'll take you through some of the pros and cons of guided meditation online, as well as explore how to use them safely if you decide to pursue it.
Since the dawn of the information age, human beings have lived with a thirst to know.
For many, this thirst is satisfied through the pages of books and by learning on their own. But for others, it drives them to seek anything and everything online.
It is no different with mindfulness. The internet is one of many tools that has transformed how we learn about mindfulness and how we incorporate it into our lives. Yet as much as meditators use the internet to connect with others, they are often still uncertain about what they're being told.
For those who are just getting started, this can be particularly challenging to overcome. But it's a necessary step if we're to continue building on our practice.
Is Guided Meditation Online Credible?
In the modern age, just about anything is possible. That includes using the internet to learn about mindfulness. Which leads us to a first point: If you want to learn about mindfulness, the internet is an excellent place to start. It's more than just credible, it's one of the best ways for people new to meditation to connect with quality information about what they're doing. In some cases, it's also where meditators come when they want a more personal connection with others who are practicing mindfulness.
If you choose to pursue this path, a good place to start is with guided meditations. These are an excellent way for beginners to get a sense for what's involved in working with your own mind and body, and how those experiences can become a way of life.
Many guided meditations on the internet are available by suggesting you follow them on your iPhone or Android device while they're being played on YouTube or some other streaming service. But let's face it: These devices aren't nearly as intuitive as they could be. Most are also poorly designed in that they offer little guidance as you learn to actually apply mindfulness where it really matters.
An alternative to this is to use a guided meditation app such as Calm or Headspace. These are excellent because they offer structure and flexibility in how you use them.
The good news is that there are many other resources available online for those who want to start practicing mindfulness, but aren't sure where to begin. For instance, you can find excellent information about mindfulness on the following websites:
TaraBrach.com – Tara Brach offers a wealth of information about how we can learn about the true nature of our minds through the practice of mindfulness. She also talks extensively about how it changes our lives for the better and how we can apply it in our daily lives.
Matthieu Ricard – Matthieu Ricard has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and spent many years working in research. He's since taken an interest in Buddhist thought and is now a practicing monk known for his commitment to providing education about the human mind, body and spirit. His website offers great information about mindfulness as well as guided meditations you can use to help provide structure to your practice.
Center for Mindfulness – This website from the University of Massachusetts Medical School offers extensive information about how the practice of mindfulness can change our lives for the better and why it's so important to do it correctly.
Mindful.org – This website is a product of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and offers one-page guides to mindfulness, which include an audio guided meditation.
Mindfulness in Plain English – This is a really remarkable book about how mindfulness can be applied to our lives. It can also help you develop a more compassionate way of handling your own thoughts and feelings, as well as how to pay attention to what goes on around you.
The Internet Resources You Shouldn't Trust… at All Costs!
We're all for using the internet for information about mindfulness. It can be an invaluable resource, as long as you're aware of the risks. That way, you can make an informed decision about whether or not to trust it.
However, there are some online resources that should be avoided entirely. This is a direct result of the fact that they are presented by people whose main aim is to sell products or services. You'll find that whenever something is sold, the main objective will always be making a profit.
While there's nothing wrong with being motivated by profit, in this case it includes selling things like guided meditations, mindfulness courses and books written on Buddhist philosophy. These come complete with a moral disclaimer that you're not permitted to sell them, which is great in a way.
But once you have purchased these products, you have no choice but to apply their guidance to your meditation practice. If you've done this and really learned from the guidance, then you have nothing more to worry about. But if the instructions aren't clear enough for you, then the information can easily be manipulated in ways that will do more harm than good for your practice.
A way around this is to see who benefits monetarily from any given website. If it's a site that appears to profit through offering mindfulness information and resources, then it's best avoided entirely.
There are also sites that are clearly selling things like guided meditations, meditation courses and books about Buddhist philosophy. These include:
Buddhify – This is a website that claims to offer guided meditations for free. There's even an option where you can subscribe to hear a short guided meditation everyday. While it appears to be aimed mostly at beginners, it has been criticized by those who have used it for being too focused on trying to sell things to users.
Omvana – This is another website that offers free guided meditations and talks about the benefits of mindfulness without trying to sell anything. It's also free, which is another reason it's probably best to steer clear of it.
The Internet – It's impossible to avoid the internet completely when you do meditation. But there are a few places you can go that won't have any of the pitfalls associated with all the other places to find mindfulness information. This includes:
Mindfulness in Plain English – This is a great book that offers a complete introduction to mindfulness as well as real-world examples of how to apply it where you live. It also shows us how what we think and feel can sometimes be misleading and helps us find ways to connect with our true inner selves.
Conclusion
When it comes to learning about mindfulness, there are a lot of resources available online. It is possible to find excellent guidance on how to start practicing this important skill in a very short time.
However, it's important to be aware of the dangers when you're learning from websites that are otherwise doing something just to make money from you. You should also keep in mind that there are many other really great websites out there that you can visit for your meditation needs. They will offer much better guidance and help you achieve your goals much faster.