We’ve all heard or read about the countless benefits of meditating.
Things like... reducing stress, controlling anxiety, promoting general emotional wellbeing, increasing self-awareness, increasing attention spans, reducing age-related memory loss, fighting addiction, and promoting kindness are just a few of the many science-backed benefits of a regular meditation practice.
But when it comes to practically fitting a consistent meditation practice into our busy lives, it can feel daunting or even impossible. And even if we could find the time… what the heck would we do once we got there?
The lack of time (or knowledge on what to do) can be a big barrier that prevents us from actually taking the baby steps we need to take to begin this monumentally beneficial practice. So I’m sharing with you five practical steps to get your meditation practice started today.
(scroll down to read on)
First, decide how much time you want to commit to this new endeavor.
The benefits that come from a moderate to strong meditation practice require consistency so determine how often you’re truly able to commit. BEWARE: Setting a lofty goal of daily meditations (for example) could feel overwhelming at the beginning. So be sure to set an achievable goal but one that also pushes you to grow.
I recommend starting small and incrementally increasing your frequency. For example, begin with 3 days a week and when you consistently accomplish that for a month, then increase to 4 days a week, then 5, and so on.
Second, determine how long you want to sit in quiet stillness, in a given interval.
Similar to Step 1, start small and increase over time. For example, start with sitting for just 5 minutes for the first week (or month), and increase to 10 minutes, and then 15.
I always recommend picking a frequency and duration that are functional for your lifestyle.
Third, pencil it in. Literally, put your meditation time on your daily calendar.
If it’s not visible, then it will be much easier to forget to do it, especially at the beginning.
I recommend setting alerts and notifications to remind you.
Fourth, don’t forget to set up a rewards system for yourself and your hard work.
Yes, the cognitive and physiological benefits of the meditations themselves are their own reward, but you need to train yourself to keep showing up to the practice so that you can reap those benefits.
A consistent rewards systems will help you do that. Something as simple as telling yourself “good job!” is enough to trigger a ‘hit’ of dopamine to the rewards center of the brain, and that hit of dopamine will increase the likelihood that you’re going to sit for meditation again.
Fifth, start small by starting with your breath.
Set your phone timer for the interval you decided in Step 2 (e.g., 5 minutes), and then sit and engage in a simple pranayama (e.g., resonance breathing, 3-part breath, alternate nostril breathing) for the duration of that time. The time will pass faster than you think it will.
I recommend keeping a notebook or journal nearby to document any thoughts or insights you have after your time has ended.
TAKE ACTION:
Want to learn more about the various pranayama (breath) practices and the optimal times and situations to use each them? Sign up for my newest workshop BREATHE: Pranayama For Everyday Life, happening August 25 @ 11am-12:15pm est.
Feeling skeptical or experiencing a ton of inertia about getting started? Book a free consult and let’s burn through those barriers.
Ready for personalized, 1:1 support to kickstart (or restart) your meditation and growth journey? Schedule a private, 60-minute Yoga session. (Virtual and in-person options available.)
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