16 March, 2016

1. Get really good at preparatory practices

Practices that prepare us for meditation include yoga, for starters. Then there’s pranayama, a healthy diet, and other cleansing techniques that prepare you to be able to sit and meditate. Preparation is key, so have fun with the prep work.

2. Lay your foundation

Your foundation is your meditation seat. It’s your posture. It’s your calm, smooth breath. Before advancing forward, you’ll want to make sure your foundation is strong. From a strong foundation, you can build and build and build.

3. Don’t force it

As with anything in life, forcing makes things backfire. You can’t force an advancement in your practice. You might not be ready to meditate for thirty minutes every morning and night even though the intention is there. Don’t overwhelm yourself with a practice that’s not right for you, at this stage in your game. Be realistic and have reasonable expectations for yourself. You don’t want to stress yourself out by putting the pressure on.

4. Set your routine in place

You practice needs to be a regular one, first and foremost. If it’s not, now’s the time to get established in a routine. Just like anything, showing up day in and day out is where change occurs. You can’t expect someone or something else to do the work for you. You have to show up, and you have to show up every single day, and preferably at the same time. This regularity makes life easier because you won’t have to deal with the question of “when will I fit in my practice?” It happens every day at the same time – just like brushing your teeth in the morning.

5. Find new meditation techniques that turn you on

We’re all different and not every meditation style is going to appeal to everyone. If you feel like you’re in a rut, try something different. Maybe the practice you’ve been doing feels somewhat boring and you need to venture into new pastures. Explore, experiment and have fun finding some new tools to deepen your contemplative practice.

6. Create a community

Not all of us, but some of us need support in the form of a meditation group to shake things up a bit. Some of us need motivation and a support system to keep us on track and inspired. If this is you, seek out a group or make one yourself. Surround yourself with people who love to meditate and see what they can teach you. The support of a satsang can prove to be priceless in your growth.