One of the greatest challenges of learning meditation is making it a regular part of your everyday life. And the greatest benefits come once you’ve done that. So, try these tips for setting up a meditation practice, brought to you by your friends at Wildmind Buddhist Meditation:
1. Get some instruction
You can learn the techniques of meditation from books and CDs: there are some good ones around. But it helps a lot to learn from a real person.Take a course – or go to a class where you can ask questions about the issues. In time, it helps to have friends or even teachers who are more experienced meditators than you are.
2. Settle on a practice that suits you
On an MBSR course there are three main practices – the mindfulness of breathing, the body scan and mindful movement, and there are many others out there. It’s worth experimenting a bit and then settling on the practice, or combination of practices, that work for you.
3. Find a regular time for practice
You might start off thinking you’ll just try fitting meditation into your day somehow or other, but establishing a practice means finding a time that works for you. For many people, first thing in the morning before the day starts up is a good time; others prefer the evening. There are pros and cons with either so you’ll need to experiment.
Check out the rest of their 10 tips for setting up a meditation practice here. They include setting up your special meditation space, letting your friends and family in on your plans, meditating in groups, going on meditation retreats, and being persistent with your practice.
