✨️3 top tips to start a meditation practice✨️
1. Start small
I used to think that life is all about making big changes. However, I now see much more meaning in making tiny, consistent changes. As with any new practice, (learning to play a new instrument or to speak a new language) sitting without judgement and with loads of kindness towards yourself (aka meditating), takes time. Starting with just 5 minutes a day can be exactly what you need. I did this for years, before I slowly increased the time. 🌟My 5-minute meditations served as an anchor. It helped me feel much more grounded and flexible. I still worked in the same stressful environment, but I was able to handle the stress better. I also started noticing much more space and calm in my day and my life. 🌸
2. Practice kindness towards yourself
Meditation is simple, but it is not easy.🙈 Once you sit, you notice thoughts and you might feel uncomfortable feelings. This is part of the practice. We all experience this when we slow down and take away distractions. Having thoughts, noticing this and gently but firmly bringing yourself back, IS the practice. You can’t get rid of thoughts and you don’t have to. My meditations can feel messy and tricky and I don’t levitate either.😂 I have realised that I need these meditations even more than the ones that feel very calm and blissful.
3. Practice non-judgement
‘What you practice grows stronger.’ (Shauna Shapiro) 🌱If you sit day after day, full of self-judgement and self-loathing then that is what you are cultivating: a stronger inner-critic and more self-judgement. To me, practicing non-judgement almost feels like re-programming myself. I have only realised lately how judgemental my thoughts really are and how loud the voice of my inner critic is at times. It is very easy to get carried away by this. 🎐
I know this will be my ongoing practice, together with all the other elements of meditation, mindfulness and yoga. It won’t be perfect and that is totally fine. I am going to sit now. Let’s see what happens. 🌟
