Are you finally ready to go steady with meditation?
Hi,
I'm Susanna Kenton.
I recently caught up with a frenzied friend of mine.
She brought up the subject of meditation and confessed so guiltily while sipping on her oversized latte,
I haven't meditated in ages,
Even though I know I should.
So many people I find have this attitude.
Meditating is something that they think they're supposed to do,
Right up there with exercising or intermittent fasting,
But they struggle to integrate it as a regular practice.
And I get it.
I resisted regular meditation for years.
But several years ago,
Something changed for me.
I heard a voice somehow inside me say,
Until you learn to get still,
You won't be able to truly bring your gifts to the world.
And one of the worst things I can imagine for any of us is dying with our potential still intact.
So hearing this message was the motivation I needed.
I committed to a six-month meditation course.
And I swear with clenched teeth,
I vowed to meditate daily for 10 minutes or more,
No matter what.
And somehow I've kept that promise to myself ever since.
I go through phases of enjoying my practice and phases of not.
The form my meditation takes varies depending on my mood or my needs.
I'll often use a background track to meditate to,
Such as Deep Om on the Insight Timer app.
Like the bell which made Pavlov's dog salivate in anticipation of food,
This music signals my mind to get still and helps me to drop in.
While the music plays through headphones,
I watch my breath to focus my attention.
I notice my thoughts and what I'm feeling.
And I'll often repeat an intention to experience my oneness with Source.
I sit,
I become available as best I can,
And I listen.
And sometimes my meditation feels wonderful,
Sometimes it feels uncomfortable,
And sometimes it's just boring.
But always the commitment to turn within leaves me clearer and with a greater sense of spaciousness to live out of,
No matter what the day may bring.
If you're struggling to meditate,
I just invite you to make it easy on yourself.
Don't set the bar too high.
You know,
I've heard Eckhart Tolle say that you can get more benefit from taking one conscious breath a day than from enrolling in an entire year's worth of meditation classes.
So start with an easy commitment that you know you can keep.
Next,
Find a teacher or several you enjoy and listen to their guided tracks.
There are so many wonderful ones on Insight Timer.
If you prefer,
You can freestyle it.
But make that easy on yourself too.
Choose music or nature sounds,
Solfeggio frequencies,
Or anything else that inspires you.
Set a timer,
If you like,
And then simply close your eyes and turn within.
And if you do want your practice to become regular,
Find your own powerful why to keep you going.
And this can change as you go along.
Perhaps you're tired of reacting or overreacting to the stresses of life,
And you want to experience more peace and equanimity long term.
Or maybe you want to disidentify from the negative thought patterns that plague you.
Perhaps you're moving through a life challenge and want to draw strength and courage from within.
Whatever your why,
Honor it and show up for yourself.
Strengthen your resolve by keeping a journal of the ahas that arise through your practice,
And the positive changes you notice from it.
Your journal entries can re-inspire you when you feel restless or unmotivated to sit.
Above all,
Don't put an expectation on yourself to feel a particular way as you meditate,
Not blissed out,
Enlightened,
Or anything else.
Go in for the love of truth and to get to know yourself at a deeper level.
Don't imagine your mind should be clear of thoughts.
It won't be.
Don't beat yourself up if you have a busy meditation.
Just see if you can notice the thoughts and feelings that arise,
With compassion,
With a little bit of distance.
You're not your thoughts.
You're not your feelings.
Focus and refocus your attention when it wanders.
And do your best to breathe easily.
Whether you have a session that is blissful or bland,
Bumpy or beautiful,
Acknowledge and thank yourself each time you meditate.
Doing so will help smooth the path to developing a regular practice.
You may also begin to notice rewards such as feeling more balanced and happier,
Handling stress better,
Experiencing greater resilience,
Or noticing improved mental clarity and focus.
You'll also enhance your ability to live into and savor the present moment.
You know,
Just by listening to this track,
You've already dipped your toe into showing up for yourself more thoroughly through meditation.
So why not dive into day one of going steady with a practice?
You could try one of my short and sweet meditations just for the fun of it.
Perhaps my heart coherence meditation,
Which takes about 11 minutes,
Or my firefly meditation,
Which takes 13.
What I know is that if you want a regular meditation practice,
You've got this,
And I am already cheering.
I'll meet you in the stillness.
Namaste.
