Now that we have an understanding of mindfulness and meditation I would like to discuss the practicalities of getting started.
It is simple.
Sit upright on a chair or on the ground. Close your eyes and focus on your breath in and out. Start with 2 minutes per day.
But not easy .
Expect your thoughts to distract you but don’t let this deter you, this is normal. There are many useful tools you can use to help you learn and progress your practice and understanding of mindfulness and meditation.
Exploring mindfulness and meditation can be fun. There are different apps, plenty of ted talks, face-to-face teachers, guided group sessions, colouring books and retreats. There are so many different ways in fact that it can sometimes become overwhelming what is the best one to choose for you.
So I suggest keeping the two points below in mind when working out how to start:
1. Choose something that suits you.
This may sound obvious but the number of people I see who do not take into consideration their daily life before embarking on lifestyle/habit change is incredible. Set yourself up for success, not failure.
2. Patience and consistency
Meditation and mindfulness will require both of these in bucket loads! Remember we are trying to change thinking patterns that have existed for years. Give your brain time to adapt. 2 minutes a day is a great start but the way you think and react to stress won’t change over night.
I would really encourage you to explore some of the resources below if you are interested in developing a sustainable practice
Apps/websites:
Face-to-face:
Have you used any of the above to help develop your practice? If so, did you find it useful?