Tips for a Meditation Practice

A regular meditation practice is invaluable. Meditating everyday releases stress, builds a resilience of calm, lowers blood pressure and helps us to be more compassionate toward ourselves and others.

Over the years, I have experimented with when and where to meditate in an effort to establish a steadfast practice. In order to reap the benefits of meditation, it has to become a daily routine. Here are my top 3 tips for making sure you develop a consistent practice and stay committed to maintaining a healthy mind.

1) Meditate first thing in the morning if you can. I have found that meditating at the beginning of my day works best for me. When my mind is clear at the start of the day, I find it settles more quickly into a deeper meditative state. It also contributes to a more mindful day.

2) If you choose to do it at another time of day, prioritize it. For a couple of years I had to be out the door to work very early in the morning, so my meditation practice shifted to the early evening. I put it on my calendar and committed to it in the same way I would commit to any other kind of meeting.

3) Think same time, same place. My meditation space is an alcove in our dining room. I created an altar on top of a built-in cabinet. It consists of meaningful statuary, things I have found on my nature walks and a small candle. Sometimes fresh flowers adorn my altar. This is a sacred space for me. It is here, in the early morning hours before Rick gets up, I sit meditation for thirty minutes and pray. Meditation spaces can be an entire room,an empty closet,the top of a dresser,a broad window sill or a lovely bench in your garden. Be creative by embellishing it with a few meaningful and favorite things. Then this special place will call out to you to sit mediation and your practice will flourish.

Mindful Tip:

Designate a consistent time and place to establish and strengthen your meditation practice.