Let’s be honest.
Generally, meditation isn’t the most appealing thing to us men.
I can understand why it may seem off-putting or even effeminate. A lot of modern media on meditation is tailored towards females. A quick google search will bring up far more images of women than men.
Even to me, a regular male meditator, the practice seems to be more popular amongst women. And I would assume there are far more female meditators in the world.
Though, it’s actually closer than you might think. A fairly recent study conducted on meditation practice, amongst other things, showed that 11.8% of US males meditate. Compared to 16.3% of US females.
That’s nowhere near the kind of distance I was expecting, and it goes to show that meditation is truly a human practice.
Though, I know numbers aren’t always that convincing. So I’m about to give you six powerful reasons why every man should meditate.
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Meditation for Men: 6 Convincing Reasons Why Every Man Should Meditate
You’ll Become More Present
It’s hard to look past presence when thinking about the benefits of meditation. After all, it’s the essence of the practice.
The core principle of meditation is focus. Generally speaking, a meditator will focus their attention on their breathing during a session. Trying to achieve single pointed and continuous attention on their breath.
When in this focused state, you’re present, and practicing regularly helps you take that presence off the cushion and into your life.
I think one reason meditation potentially appeals less to men, is because we can’t see the practicality of it. Stereotypically, men tend to prefer a hands on task with tangible results.
Many of us might see meditation as a waste of time because the results aren’t always obvious or easy to grasp. Though, that doesn’t mean they aren’t there or that they’re not powerful.
Being present in your own life is hugely beneficial in several practical and relatable ways. Let’s look at some now.
Your Relationships Will Improve
One of the most amazing ways presence, and therefore meditation, can help any man is in his relationships.
We don’t tend to be the best communicators. Men often bottle up their feelings or struggle to express themselves. We also have a reputation, warranted or not, for not being great listeners.
Essentially, a lot of us suck at the key thing a healthy relationship needs:
Good communication.
It’s vital, not just with our partners but also with our friends, family and children that we communicate well.
Through meditation we get better at communicating with our loved ones because we become present and attentive to them. Instead of having our minds stuck back at work, we’re present in the room to listen to what our family has to say.
We’re then able to respond effectively and have an open, honest conversation. In doing so, you may find that you become closer to your partner, son or daughter.
And with the clarity that comes from meditation, you may realize it makes no sense to bottle up your feelings. Your loved ones will appreciate you sharing these with them and perhaps feel they know you a little better.
You’ll More Easily Stay Focused at Work
Presence can improve your work life just as much as your family life.
With improved communication in the workplace, you might find that you get on better with your team, have more fun at work and become more efficient.
A team that communicates well is like a smooth running engine. One that doesn’t will find their engine sputters and spurts to a breakdown.
Individually there are benefits too. A man with a focused mind will find he can get far more work done in a day. Not only that, but the quality of his work will improve as well.
How much time do you think you waste in a workday? Daydreaming, getting distracted or not being able to focus? A present mind can put your time and attention to good use.
You’ll Win Back Time
Meditation gives you more time. Not literally of course, but being present makes time seem slower.
Time flies when you’re stuck in your own head, but when you live consciously you don’t lose seconds, minutes, hours to mind wandering. You live your day in the now and make good use of your time because of it.
Being present potentially gives you hours of extra time each day. Because you take back the time you used to spend unconsciously. You’ll find you can get far more done and feel relaxed having more time on your hands.
Check out this graphic from Mindful Minutes for a meditation how-to.
You’ll Become More Self Aware
This has been a big one for me.
Though “being in touch with yourself” can sound a little fluffy to most men, I value self-awareness highly amongst my own traits. It’s helped me a lot over the last five years, in a few different ways.
First, it helped me to let go of my victim mindset and overcome my depression. By developing my self-awareness I became more aware of my own thoughts, feelings and actions. And why I was thinking or acting in a particular way.
This helped me to realize my depression was self-imposed and aided me in overcoming it.
Second, self-awareness improved my confidence.
Before I began to meditate there were a lot of things about myself that I was unsure of. Not unhappy with, just unsure. That made me insecure and uncomfortable often.
But as my self-awareness increased through meditation, I got to know myself a lot better and came to truly love who I am. Those uncertainties became sureties and I began to appreciate my quirks and the things that made me—me.
Finally, being more self-aware helped me to access deeper parts of my consciousness and bring them to the surface. Specifically, it helped me to find my path in life. To realize what I wanted to do.
I wouldn’t be writing this now if I didn’t meditate. Self-awareness helped me to identify my passion and know who I am.
I think there are a lot of guys out there who potentially feel lost, young guys in particular. And as cheesy as it may sound, meditation can help you to find the real you.
You’ll Gain Mental Clarity and Perspective
Mental clarity and a clear perspective is a must for any man, and meditation can give them to you.
We create so many of our own problems by having a poor perspective on things. Whether that’s misinterpreting something our partner said or seeing only negatives in any given situation.
Clarity allows you to see situations for what they are and react accordingly and effectively. Instead of being resentful towards your partner for something they didn’t mean. You instead ask, ‘are you ok? What’s up?’
The amount of hassle you’ll save yourself with this clarity alone is enough reason to meditate.
Though, that’s not all; with clarity comes creativity.
It’s hard to have good ideas when your mind is full of clutter and junk. But when you empty your mind of all those useful thoughts, you leave room for your creative spark to serve up a great idea.
Many of my best ideas, not just for my career but for my life, have come during meditation. While my mind is clear, it’s far easier to identify and grasp onto useful thoughts.
It also increases the frequency and accuracy of my intuitive thoughts. Win-win.
Interested in the science behind meditation? Take a look at this video from AsapScience:
Conclusion
These are just six of the many reasons those 11.8% of US males may choose to meditate. And those males include Dwayne Johnson, Will Smith and (Granted—Australian) Hugh Jackman. In case you thought a real man’s man can’t meditate.
There’s a lot of misinformation around meditation but when it comes down to it, it’s a simple and universal practice with huge mental health benefits.
You don’t need to be super flexible or sit cross-legged on the floor. You don’t need a spiritual guru or a yoga mat. You don’t even need a lot of time. Anything between 15 to 30 minutes a day is enough.
Head on over to Headspace or Calm if you want to get started or stay here at The Adult Man and check out some of our other lifestyle content.
