In preparing to teach a meditation retreat this weekend, I’ve spent the early part of this week thinking of my top 10 favorite pieces of advice about meditation that I’ve come across over the years. Here they are. May it be of benefit!
- Understand that meditation is not about “not thinking,” but about coming back to the breath over and over and over and over again. The point of meditation is to recognize when your mind has drifted and bring your attention back to the present.. In this way, thoughts are actually part of the meditation.
- Consistency beats out intensity: better to meditate five minutes everyday than one hour every now and then.
- There is no such thing as a “bad” meditation session. There may be sessions when you have trouble slowing the mind down or focusing on the breath. So what? This is why we practice.
- If sitting on a meditation cushion is hard on your back, move to a chair. It’s hard to still your mind when your back is screaming out in pain.
- Drowsy every time you meditate? Raise your head. Look all around you, take a deep breath, and start again.
- Still drowsy? Shorten your meditation period. Go rest. You may just be very tired.
- If you find yourself questioning whether or not to meditate, let the question itself remind you to stop what you’re doing, tune into your breath, and…before you know it you’re meditating, even if just for two or three minutes. See #2 above.
- If you’re schedule is really rock solid and there is just no getting away to meditate, set some sort of simple alarm (on your computer, on your phone) to go off every hour, and when it does, close your eyes, take three deep breaths, and then continue on with your day. Perforating our day like this with pauses invites a spaciousness that we would otherwise lack.
- Sitting with strong emotions (anger, despair, grief) is important but difficult. Be kind to yourself. If the emotions are overwhelming, shorten your meditation period and get up and make yourself a cup of tea.
- Find your time of day. Morning meditation has a different “feel” about it than evening meditation. One is not better than the other, and it is important to work with our natural rhythm.
I love these, especially the be kind to yourself and make a cup of tea. I used to come away from meditation feeling like a failure — not what I was meditating for! I am glad for people starting out to have these tips and wish you could lead something in the Boston area. Do you ever video your work?
I am so happy to have found this blog. Your confidence and drive to educate readers to love and embrace themselves is inspiring….Thanks for this Mantras for Success.