Three personal tips to begin a meditation practice

I frequently come across people that want to meditate and don’t know how to begin. When I first started to meditate years ago, my practice was very different from what it is today. It is an evolving process that is still changing.

I have learned that there are so many things that could help or interfere with establishing a consistent meditation practice. When I started my practice, I experimented with a lot of things. Still, today, I like to experiment as I have found it very helpful for me.

I want to share with you some factors that you may want to experiment with to begin or re-establish your meditation practice.

Start small

I began with following a meditation practice for only five minutes. For months my meditation was concise and simple. If I only had three minutes, that was what I did.

Find a simple meditation practice that you can stick to or go to a class to find one. Please stick to the same short method for months until it becomes automatic for you.

Make it work

When I started meditating, most of my meditations were in my car. At the time, my daughter was a toddler, and it was a challenge to do it at home. I did my best to do it daily, but sometimes I could not do it.

My daughter will always fall asleep in the car. When she was sleeping, I will stop the car and meditate. Or I waited until we got home, and I meditated when we were in the garage while she slept.

Commit

In the beginning, it is challenging to commit. It was easy for the mind to find reasons why not do it. Finding other things to do was not a problem.

I establish my commitment by anchoring on my whys. Identify the benefits that you want from your meditation practice. Pick long term goals that you could achieve if you commit to meditation.

Make a goals list and write it down. Be very specific and explain how your life would better. Whenever you feel like skipping a day, before you do anything else, read your list. Once you know your whys, go all the way in.

I do not think that there is a winning formula that works for everybody. Stick to what works for you. Experiment with different things and focus on your goals. Work diligently and patiently.

One quote

Meditation has taught me patience, will power, and self-compassion. I am a better human being thanks to my meditation practice.

Tamy Khan

One question

What is the most crucial reason why you want to meditate?