A daily routine of establishing a Mindfulness Meditation practice can be fraught with self-created hindrances. Here are just a few tips and suggestions that may aid you with such a challenge.
A KICK-START.
First, find a relatively comfortable and quiet place within your home where you are least likely to be disturbed. Begin your at-home daily meditation in the same room, on the same chair or on the same mat or cushion each and every time you meditate. By selecting the same spot every day, it will kick start your brain and move you quickly into mindset of calmness as soon as you enter the room and sit in your selected chair, etc. You will be forwarding and signaling the message of your intention to your brain….and you will “settle in” more quickly each time
LISTEN TO YOURSELF
Become aware of the messages you send to yourself with each thought you have. Remember that your thoughts are a form of energy that transmit messages to your brain through your neural pathways. Your brain will then react accordingly as if obeying every thought or message you send there.
CREATE AWARENESS
We cannot change our life-long learned habits of thinking without awareness. We cannot change anything unless we become aware of our thought patterns. That includes feelings of anxiety, stress, worry and self-doubt; unless, we become aware of those thoughts that precede those feelings and reactions.
CHANGE YOUR MESSAGE
When you constantly say, “I can’t find the time”, “I’m too busy”, you are reinforcing that message to yourself. We become our thoughts. Perhaps the alarm goes off and you think to yourself…”I think I’ll stay in bed another five minutes”. What happens? Your brain receives your message, takes the cue and you stay in bed another 5 minutes. And so it is with every message or thought we send upstairs. When we think…”I’m going to meditate now”….our brain gets the message and our body reacts accordingly.
TAKE THE WORD, “SHOULD”
…and shove it aside! It is important to think of Meditation as a gift to yourself…as an act of kindness and love meant especially for yourself. We often resist “shoulds”…or “need to’s”. Those thoughts usually smack of an inner parent-child relationship you have with yourself and is often associated with rebellion. Meditate because you want to…not because you have to or because you should. Ask yourself, “Am I important enough to deserve and set aside this time for myself”? Doing for ourselves allows us to realize the importance of doing for others.
DON’T THINK
Just be present and do it! The more you THINK about doing it, the less likely you will do it!
“It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn)