After 5 Years Of Practicing Mindfulness Meditation, I've Realized Why People Think It's Impossible

Why People Think Mindfulness Meditation Is Impossible
SUZUKA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 01: Daniel Ricciardo taking part in Zazen, Zen meditation at the Zenshoan Temple in Tokyo ahead of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit on October 1, 2014 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
SUZUKA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 01: Daniel Ricciardo taking part in Zazen, Zen meditation at the Zenshoan Temple in Tokyo ahead of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit on October 1, 2014 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

I started practicing mindfulness meditation five years ago, when I was an English teacher living in Seoul, South Korea.

I'd sit cross-legged and try to concentrate on my breath like the books told me to.

Then something frustrating would happen: Rather than resting in tranquility, I'd be thinking — about lunch, about the classes I'd teach that day, about the fight I'd had with my soon-to-be ex-girlfriend.

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