Prior musings have outlined a method of optimizing physical, mental and spiritual health by focusing on self-care and embracing the mindful attitudes of non-judgmental acceptance, patience, curiosity, trust, non-striving and letting go.
Mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular as a tool for well-being. After becoming familiar with mindful concepts, the challenge is to incorporate it into everyday life. Developing daily formal practice is one way of having mindfulness available to you when you need it the most. Formal practice may include breathing awareness meditation, body scan meditation or yoga. There are many guided meditations of various lengths available from the internet. The benefits of practice are well known, including clarity of thought, equanimity and resilience when faced with life’s inevitable stress waves. There are also many obstacles to achieving this. Common examples are not having the time, being interrupted, doubt about the benefits of formal practice and falling asleep when meditating.
Adding formal practice on a daily basis can of itself become a stressor! Anything added to a crowded schedule can provoke anxiety and resentment, even if it is a very healthy, nourishing activity. Self criticism may rear its head. Better to not even try formal practice than to “fail” at it is a common refrain.
There are many solutions to these obstacles. Three helpful attitudes include: a willingness to change habits, flexibility and self compassion.
Changing habits can be quite difficult. Some long-ingrained habits are healthy, while others may be less so. Mindfulness gives us a tool for non judgmental self-awareness, a first step to making necessary changes. Consider making some time for self reflection and journalling. You may find that your seemingly full schedule has some habitual activities that are low priority, “zone out” time wasters or even harmful. It is important to take the time to view our day to day habits using an attitude of “beginner’s mind”. This fresh perspective can give us the awareness and courage to let go of activities that no longer serve us and help make room for formal mindful practice.
Flexibility and creativity are also key components of a commitment to formal mindful practice. It is encouraging to hear how seemingly impossible barriers have been overcome. Finding some time at lunch, using public library space or a parked car, getting up 20 early, giving up a TV habit, putting guided meditations of various lengths on one’s smartphone are but to name a few. When schedules vary or some unexpected free time crops up, opportunities for practice may appear.
Self compassion needs to be mentioned. Our harsh inner critic may chide us for “failing” to find time for formal meditation and then decide to give it up altogether to avoid future disappointment. Accepting our imperfections and treating ourselves with gentle kindness is far healthier than self-chastisement. Choosing to return to formal meditation practice after a gap can be extremely rewarding.
Using these suggestions most of us can find the 10-30 minutes per day needed. If you can devote an hour or more occasionally your mindful tools will be well-honed when most needed, but even 5 minutes is helpful.
I have heard it said that the best meditation is the one you did!
Mindful homework:
Develop a formal home meditation practice with flexibility, creativity and self-compassion. Consider keeping a log of your practice for your self-knowledge.
(There will be a guided meditation available on our website www.managestress.ca in the fall of 2013)