How to add meditation into your daily routine.
It’s normal to struggle to meditate daily when you are first starting out. Our society is one that wants to see results instantly. And because we are always on the go, life has a habit of taking over. It’s so easy to get distracted away from the things that are unfamiliar to us. Sadly, this is where a lot of people fall off their meditation stool!
Meditation is no different to anything else new that you bring into your life. It requires regularity, practice, and patience. Forming any kind of new habit requires resolve, planning, support, and encouragement from our loved ones.
Where I believe the challenge is in starting a daily meditation practice, in the beginning it can seem really hard. There is a preconception that you need to stop your thoughts, (not true). It’s difficult and uncomfortable to sit still. Or there’s fear in actually going inwards and observing your mind and your thoughts. You’re not quite sure what you’ll discover!
Here I am sharing some tips that really helped me to get started with making meditation a daily habit. Ultimately, it is meditation that has brought calm and contentment into my everyday life.
1.Find a quiet place and get comfortable.
For your daily meditation practice, you really want to create a space that is comfortable and inviting. Somewhere that inspires you to be, and that can be dedicated for your meditation practice. Ideally this should be in a quiet area of your home, somewhere you can take yourself away and where you won’t be disturbed during your practice.
It’s very popular to create a ritual around your meditation nook. What is more important is to create a space that is right for you. You may light a candle, or incense, or play peaceful music. It’s quite nice to add special mementoes from loved ones or a few photos.
My place is in the corner of the bedroom where I have a little table with a candle and a few personal things.
Above all else, make sure you are comfortable. You cannot meditate if you are not comfortable. You can sit in a chair, on the floor in a traditional cross-legged position, or with your back against a wall. There are many props, cushions, or specific meditation stools and chairs on the market specifically designed for meditation.
We go into more detail into how to sit comfortably for meditation, in this short video.
2. Start small and keep it short
I always remember my teachers saying… It’s far better to meditate daily for five minutes then try to sit for twenty-five minutes one day a week.
Research shows that consistency is the key when it comes to creating a new habit. Regularity of practice is more important than how long you sit. In fact, committing to 5 or 10 minutes a day is a good amount of time.
As you get more comfortable and familiar with the practice you will notice that you are able to sit for longer. I found in the beginning practising three of four days a week was less overwhelming than committing to seven days. Overtime you will feel the ‘pull’ to want to meditate, and to do so for longer periods and more frequently.
3. Same time, same place for daily meditation.
The time of day you choose to meditate has to work well for you. Even though I’m not generally a morning person, I prefer to sit for meditation as soon as I get up and out of bed. Why? This is the time when your mind, and your home environment is at its quietest.
Your mind hasn’t started to be bombarded with any external stimuli, which means it is the perfect time for self-reflection and the all-important inner enquiry of meditation. When the mind is quiet your ‘inner voice’ starts to come through.
Make meditation a part of your morning routine, instead of reaching for your mobile in the morning, or pressing the snooze button, opt for 5-10 minutes sitting quietly with your breath. It will set you up perfectly for the rest of the day.
Another powerful time to practice meditation is before you go to bed. It will do wonders for your sleep! However, it does take a greater commitment to practise in the evening. It is very easy to get distracted by television, your mobile devise or it’s also a time when you’re more socially active.
Just like fitting it into your morning routine, meditation before bed is really rewarding, especially if you are struggling with a busy mind that keeps you awake at night. I find it a good separation from the day’s external activities, and to begin my wind-down routine before sleep. Meditation in the evening give you a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the day and to prepare my body and mind for sleep.
4. Let go of expectations. Remember why you are meditating.
Meditation will not a magic wand that will remove all your problems. But it is a wonderful tool which has had thousands of research studies conducted, that support the claims of how beneficial meditation is for your health and wellbeing.
In the beginning you will be wondering, “am I doing this right?” or “I can’t stop my thoughts.” Your mind will be busy, and you will get easily distracted.
It takes time to build the ‘meditation muscle’ as it’s often referred to. Have patience with your practice. Overtime you will notice you are able to cope better emotionally, you’ll build resilience and find that you don’t react or overreact in the same way. Instead, you’ll deal with difficult situations in a calm and peaceful manner.
I found I was much more present and didn’t get as distracted so easily, which meant I had more focus. The aim of meditation is awareness. Awareness of your self. In doing so you start to learn and understand yourself more.
When your mind is constantly busy in conversation with itself, you don’t always see a clear path ahead. But when your mind is calm, your inner voice will begin to speak louder. Trust it. This voice knows when to hold on and when to let go.
You develop the ability to witness. It’s often described as like watching passing clouds in the sky. You allow your thoughts to come and go without any judgement or attachment. Over time you will start to notice and understand the patterns of your mind.
When you are present you are neither thinking about the past nor the future. This is where you need to be.
5. Start with a guided meditation.
When you start to meditate daily, do so with the help of a guided practice from a teacher who will explain what to do. Giving you verbal cues in how to sit, breath, and importantly guide you through the practice.
You need this guidance to keep you focused. A qualified teacher will have been exactly where you are. We understand how the mind works and are able to guide you along your journey based on our own experiences. We will also guide you on what practice is the best for your circumstances.
Once you are familiar and feel confident with your practice, there’s no reason why you can’t follow your own cues.
To get you started along your journey with meditation, we are sharing a link to a free 10 minute guided practice.
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