Establish a Regular Meditation Practice
Establishing a regular practice is the first goal and stage one on the way to developing your meditation.
Stage one: “the meditator begins to chase the running elephant, holding a goad in one hand and a rope in the other. These represent the vigilant, alert mindfulness and strong intentions that will eventually be used to tame the elephant”.
In order for us to establish a regular practice, we need to understand how to prepare for the practice of meditation using simple methods to enter meditation gradually. We also need to understand and recognise the obstacles that stand in the way. This first stage becomes a strong foundation in order to progress further in our meditation.
I will outline here six elements that will definitely help you with your preparation particularly if you are new to meditation.
Your motivation: whether it is about having more peace in your day and life or to have more clarity about some life decisions that you are taking, you came to meditate for a reason that is important to you now. Write your motivation and keep reminding yourself of it every time you sit down to meditate.
Set reasonable goals: your goals are useful to give you directions and therefore it is important to set realistic ones so you are not disappointed. Choose simple goals such as remaining clam and non-judgmental when the mind starts wandering or if you get drowsy.
Expectations: be aware if you are setting ambitious expectations about where you “should be”. This helps you to find enjoyment in every meditation no matter what happens during the session. Simply sitting down to practice is an accomplishment. Some days you might have more stability of attention than others. Always remember there is no such a thing as a “bad meditation”
Diligence: this is my favourite because it is the one that really transformed my practice. Diligence means engaging wholeheartedly in the practice rather than being doubtful or daydreaming. This is your commitment to not judge the quality of your meditation and staying with it wholeheartedly. Simply continue to practise diligently for the entire session.
Potential distractions: there are things in your life that are happening everyday and might be causing you to worry or be annoyed. You can create a checklist of the things that are happening in your week/day that could come up as distractions. These thoughts and emotions attached to these events/worries need to be acknowledged and ensure to set them aside if they arise and you can come back to them later.
Posture: finding a comfortable and supported posture to start with. The body state needs to be solid and stable as well as soft (not rigid). This will keep the physical distractions to a minimum.
So there are many practical tips to help you sit and meditate and establish a regular practice. Setting a time and place to meditate daily (ideally the same time every day) helps to become consistent. Find a realistic time in your day that you know you can always do. Create a little altar, maybe a little corner, somewhere in your place where you can meditate regularly. This helps you to stay reminded about your regular meditation and not worry about finding the “right” space or time to meditate.
More to follow on how to help you prepare for your meditation and develop your practice further. Let me know if you find this useful. See you online every Monday morning at 8:15am and use this link to sign up.
