Do you have a regular mindfulness practice? In my experience, many people want to have a regular practice, but they struggle to develop this. It is one of the biggest struggles that brings meditation students to study with me.
Mindfulness meditation is a way of life that can bring about a greater sense of peace, ease, and well-being.
Engaging in regular mindfulness practice is at the heart of creating an intentional life, because we need to know what we’re doing in order to intentionally act in ways that bring us closer to the life we desire.
Regular mindfulness practice is a training ground that allows us to see our habitual patterns more clearly without the distractions of everyday life. When we see ourselves clearly, we have the freedom to change.
Try setting clear intentions for your meditation practice, and try to focus more attention on the benefits of the practice rather than on the costs. Start small. Choose a frequency and duration of practice that you feel certain you can attain, and increase the frequency and duration as you move forward.
Try to develop an attitude of interest and curiosity toward whatever arises in the practice, including anxiety, peace, boredom, happiness or restlessness, and notice what happens next. Can you meet whatever arises with kindness, take a deep breath, and keep practicing?
Whatever is showing up in your meditation practice and how you react to it will tend to reflect how you react to things in your everyday life. See if you can notice the patterns with kindness, and then choose to respond to them rather than react.
Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you’re doing. –Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness teacher, coach, and therapist, photographer, and writer. She teaches meditation healing, creativity, and resilience. Jen teaches Mindful Writing and Mindful Journaling workshops online. She has been teaching mindfulness meditation for 30+ years. Learn more about mindfulness coaching.