By Charles A. Francis
These days there is much talk about mindfulness meditation. You often hear about how
the practice will transform your life, and how you’ll achieve a multitude of
health benefits.
While there are indeed many benefits of mindfulness meditation,
for many people, these benefit seem elusive because they’re having trouble
getting started and staying committed to their practice.
Which of these statements best describes your experience with
meditation?
- “I’m having trouble getting
started, and staying committed to my practice.”
- “I’ve tried different ways of
meditating, but I still don’t see much progress.”
- “I’m not sure of what to do
when I’m meditating.”
- “My mind is racing, and I have
trouble sitting still.”
If you answered “yes” to any of these statements, then you’re
not alone. I had all these problems when I started, and so have most of the
people I’ve talked to. The good news is that there is a simple approach to
overcoming these problems.
There are 3 main reasons why most people have trouble getting
started with their mindfulness meditation practice:
- Lack of clear goals.
- Not using proper mindfulness
meditation techniques.
- Lack of support from peers.
In this article, I’ll share with you some tips on how to get
your mindfulness meditation practice off to a good start, and help you stay
committed to a regular routine. They will ensure that you see immediate
results, and help you stay committed to your practice.
Tip 1: Set goals for your
mindfulness meditation practice.
Most successful people set goals for themselves. Whether they’re
personal or career goals, they help them follow through with their commitments.
In the case of your mindfulness meditation practice, set some modest goals for
learning how to meditate and committing yourself to a routine, and write them
down.
They don’t have to be elaborate or grandiose. In fact, simple
goals will be much easier to accomplish. If your goals are too ambitious, then
you’ll never stick to them. I suggest perhaps practicing for 20 minutes daily,
for the next month.
It’s important to write them down, because the writing process
will help solidify your commitment in your subconscious, which is exactly what
you want. We’ll return to this shortly.
To make things easy for you, I’ve developed a meditation goal
exercise, which will guide through the process. It even includes a sample goal
statement you can use. Click
here to download the exercise.
Tip 2: Begin practicing
writing meditation.
If you’re not yet familiar with writing meditation, it’s an
exercise we’ve developed that will transform the way you relate to other
people. It will reprogram your subconscious to be more loving, understanding,
compassionate, and forgiving without any conscious effort.
The best part about the writing meditation is that it takes just
10 minutes a day. What you do is simply copy the affirmations of the
loving-kindness meditation in a notebook. That’s all.
Now, to increase the impact of the writing meditation, include
your goals as part of the exercise. In other words, each time you do the
writing meditation, begin by copying your goal statement, and then proceed with
the loving-kindness affirmations. This will reinforce your goals in the most
powerful way possible.
You can download a printable copy of the writing meditation here. It includes instructions and the
loving-kindness meditation.
Tip 3: Begin practicing
sitting meditation.
The basics of mindfulness meditation are simple. Our goal is to
develop our skills of observation, concentration and mindfulness, so that we
can see the world and our relationships with greater clarity.
Don’t worry about trying to be perfect with these meditation
techniques. Remember, you’re still learning, and you’ll certainly improve with
practice. Also, don’t worry about minor lapses in your goals. If you miss a
day, just continue practicing the next day.
Tip 4: Get involved in a
mindfulness meditation group.
A mindfulness meditation group is vital to your continued
spiritual growth. While meditating alone is an important element of our
practice, so is meditating with others. The group will provide you with the
support and spiritual nourishment you need to grow, and help you stay committed
to your practice.
If there are no mindfulness meditation groups near you, consider
starting one. It’s really easy, and immensely rewarding. I’ve prepared a group
starter kit that provides you with a sample format, a preamble to help you stay
focused, and some literature about the practice. You can download it here.
Bonus Tip: Try the
mindfulness meditation practice for 1 week.
If you’re not yet convinced that this approach will transform
your life, then try it for just one week. I guarantee you’ll see immediate
results. Here’ your 1-week challenge:
- Write down your mindfulness
meditation goals.
- Do the writing meditation,
including your goal statement, for about 10-15 minutes daily.
- Practice sitting meditation for
at least 20 minutes daily, using the concentration and mindfulness
techniques described on our meditation techniques page.
The mindfulness meditation group may take a little more time to
find, but I strongly recommend looking for one immediately.
If you follow these tips, you’ll soon see for yourself that
mindfulness meditation can transform your life and relationships in many ways.
You will also be more peaceful and serene. And you’ve probably already heard
about the many health benefits such as lower stress, lower blood pressure, and
overcoming depression. It’s even being used for weight loss.
The bottom line is that through mindfulness meditation you will
become much happier and healthier.
Best wishes for a productive mindfulness meditation practice!
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