How to make Mindfulness a habit

How can you build a sustainable mindfulness practice? I know from my own experience how hard it can be to work on a meditation routine. It is not that I do not see the benefits and feel the difference of being more balanced, less triggered and more accepting. There are simply times when my calendar is packed with back-to-back meetings so that after some time I simply feel overwhelmed with yet another to-do. Above all I am frustrated! Many of my clients share the same obstacles: “I did my meditation for two weeks, then work got really busy and I fell off the routine or because after a while they felt their practice “wasn’t working” or that “my mind was just too busy to quiet down.”

How to get on the "habit" track?

1. Commit to a time and space for practice and start small: Even though it is recommended to start with a 20 min practice period - start small even 5min or 10min can help to get started. What would be the best time in the day if you look at your schedule? Some clients meditate in the office and many companies offer meditation spaces now. Chose a space where you have silence and will not be disturbed during practice.
2. Use a course or meditation program to get started: Meditation is more than sitting in silence with your legs crossed in front of you and all kinds of distracting sensations from your body, the environment as well as the "monkey mind". It is helpful to start with an experienced practitioner. Some yoga studios offer meditation classes in the Zen or Vipasana tradition. Many cities have a meditation center or you can book a retreat. You could also start with an MBSR course. However, the length of experience and the training of teachers vary, ask around. Be sure to experiment and try out what matches your preferences. For me the book: "The illuminated Mind" by John Yates et al. was integrating the Buddhist wisdom as well as the brain science. Good for diving deeper.
3. Apps work as well: With more than 3000 studies showing the benefits of "training the mind" with meditation apps also become popular. The benefit is they remind you, keeping you accountable and above all they can be accessed anytime, anywhere. I work with the "Daily Calm" and the "Mindful Movement". Traditionally meditation has largely been practiced in communities. (in Buddhism: sanghas). The benefits groups are accountability, because the group meets at a particular date and time. Also, there’s social support in the form of inspiration through others’ progress and the understanding that the challenges you face are shared by others.
4. Letting go of expectations, progress and results: Once you are sitting in silence it becomes the hardest thing to do. We expect relaxation or calmness or results of feeling better. In difficult times our mind does not calm down and we do not feel progress at all. Why? In our daily lives we are driven to deliver results. Meditation is not that linear. Training the mind is a longterm endeavour: Consistent practice is essential. You have to do it, AND you have to do it regularly — including when you don’t feel like it, so that over time your easily distract-able mind learns to rest in open awareness, without constantly attaching to the next thought. Mindfulness is a process and for me the longer it continues the more aware I become.

If you would like to cultivate your own practice - contact me www.planb-coaching.eu