With any worthy endeavor, consistency is key. While it’s easy to get started, obstacles will undoubtedly come our way. Sometimes, it can feel like these obstacles are determined to see us fail. And without consistent defense, obstacles can outsmart us, especially when we grow complacent. It’s human nature. Whenever we strive to grow into a higher state – whether on the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual dimension – obstacles are bound to get in the way.

Meditation – and Sahaja meditation in particular – can be likened to a type of workout routine. Just like a fitness regimen, meditation requires working your routine daily for best results, including some collective meditation, too. Meditation isn’t immune and is susceptible to the same dissenting inner voice and subtle negative scripts that discourage any kind of healthy routine.

Here are 7 of the top excuses I hear from my lazy and complacent inner voice.

Just like experienced practitioners, your first experience with Sahaja meditation will be uniquely your own. Some practitioners describe an immediate, noticeable experience while others describe a more gradual discovery of energy and vibration. Whether it happens in your first session, or further into your journey, your experience of Sahaja meditation can be a powerful one.

Whether it’s stress or inflammation, nobody likes to look or feel older than their chronological age. Stress has a way of digging in and making us feel and look much older than we are.

Companies know our obsession with aging and are more than happy to provide us with a wide-range of anti-aging solutions. People spend thousands of dollars to find the correct product to turn back or slow down time.

What if there is a way to slow down the aging process that’s free? Would you give it a chance?

There are many benefits of regular Sahaja meditation. While your journey and the benefits you will garner from practicing Sahaja meditation are uniquely your own, it can be helpful – and encouraging – to hear from experienced practitioners about what they have gained from regular practice.

Would you believe that the fluctuations of your heartbeat can affect your level of wisdom? A new study in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience suggests that wise judgment lies at the intersection of heart and mind — of physiology and cognition (Grossmann et al, 2016).