Ask Yentl

Mental Yentl the Meditation Matchmaker Answers your Questions about Meditation - P. 4

Dear Yentl,
      I bought a book on meditation that has a personality test in it, which you can take to figure out what kind of meditation you're compatible with. I take it you don't consider tests like this to be valid. — Harlan

Dear Harlan,
      Several popular books on meditation offer such quizzes. I do think these self-audits are potentially useful, up to a point. They fall short, though, because they are based on character traits and personality preferences. As such, these tests can have the effect of keeping us trapped in our comfort zones, when we may need to be building spiritual muscle in other areas.
      A colorful, artistic type of person, for instance, one who values freewheeling creative expression and living in the moment, will probably be directed by such a test to a meditation method that fits those same qualities, such as sacred dance. But from a spiritual perspective, a more regulated type of meditation that progresses in stages might be exactly what he or she needs to raise his or her spiritual vibration. Conversely, someone who approaches life in an overly methodical way might benefit most from a meditative form that emphasizes intuitive spontaneity, like labyrinth meditation.
      This is not to suggest that meditation methods standing "opposite" our personal preferences are the most effective. We are, after all, complex, multidimensional beings. Additionally, all forms of meditation have the potential to take us into some unexpected places. But the above examples illustrate how our own blind spots can keep us from seeing where the potential for spiritual growth lies. — Yentl


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