Being Present

I like to think in terms of supporting my practice. There are so many ways we can build a structure around our mediation practices to hold and support the building of the habit. Eventually we would like our practices to become second nature, a lot like brushing our teeth or getting dressed in the morning – automatic, can’t go anywhere without it, just part of the daily routine.

The first support is setting an intention. We want to set an aim, a plan to establish meditation as an important part of our daily routine. Reminding ourselves of our intention regularly is a useful support. A friend taught me how to use window crayons to write reminders to myself of my intention. I write it on my window in my private space, and on the mirror in my bedroom. I also leave myself notes in my planner and will set reminder alarms in my phone.

Scheduling becomes the next important mediation practice support. It can take us a bit of time to find the best time to do meditation regularly. For many of us, mornings work best. We can build it in with habit stacking. For instance, I have habit stacked with a ritual of a morning coffee and study reading, followed immediately by meditation and then my movement practices such as Qi Gong and Tai Chi. Then breakfast. Sticking to this routine helps me get in the important things and I don’t have to worry about building them in later in the day.

For some, evenings work best. Once the day is done and the kids are put to bed, settling in for a little meditation is welcome and it is easier to settle and relax. The key is finding the right time for you so that you can maintain the schedule over an extended period of time. While there will always be fluctuation where we have to adjust our schedules, keeping a consistent one is the best support for meditation practice.

Finding a place that becomes our personal meditation space is the third important feature to building habit. The same way we may go to a gym or our personal work out space, the same way we want to “go to” our personal meditation space. This might be something as simple as a specific chair or a corner of a room for our meditation cushions. Wherever we choose, it needs to be comfortable and hopefully free of distractions and interruptions. It can be very helpful to personalize the space. If it is just a chair with a favorite wrap or throw. You might design a shelf or table nearby that has some special artifacts such as a candle, book, icon, flower or something else soothing that functions as a reminder of your intention.

The next thing to consider is posture and how you wish to do your meditation – sitting or laying down. Sitting is the recommended as it serves to keep us alert and awake (not always!). Lying down can be useful for some body scans. However, we want to keep in mind that falling asleep is not the object of our mindfulness meditation. We want to have a posture that allows us to be alert yet relaxed, upright and not uptight. It is useful to learn various postures and find one that works well for you. Some folks use chairs, some cushions, some benches, and still others might simply stand for an entire meditation. Eyes open or closed is also up to you. Sometimes, keeping our eyes open can keep us from falling asleep. If we keep our eyes open, practice a soft easy gaze down in front at about a 35 degree angle.

Seeking instruction and guidance about how to meditate is invaluable. It helps to have instruction from people who have made it a significant part of their life to have a practice and to teach practices. There are many, many resources available for learning. Check references and resumes to find good instructors. Use well rated apps such as Calm or Insight Timer to find instructors.

Logging and journaling about our practices can become a significant source of support. By logging our practices, we confirm that we are meeting our intention. Logging can give us a visual of how often we meditate and can serve as a reminder that we have already missed a day or two, so starting over! Journaling gives us a frame of reference for how the impact of meditation practice may be manifesting. As we note how our practices go, or what we notice that is different in our days, we begin to see change and transformation. This perspective reinforces that our effort and commitment are bearing fruit.

Being part of a community that is committed to meditaiton practices is a strong support for developing and maintaining our meditaiton program. Finding like minded people and meeting with them regularly can function as an accountability element. Knowing that we are going to show up and talk about practice can be motivating on days when we don’t have the zest to go straight to practice. We can also learn so much from sharing with like minded folks. So often we think the problems we encounter are ours alone. Discussing it with others, we discover that everyone tends to experience similar things. In this environment we feel supported and encouraged, important qualities for maintaining a practice.

Finally, being aware that we will have difficulties during our practices and trouble shooting can be very helpful for sustaining meditaiton practice. Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana has a great chapter on the difficulties that can arise during practice and how to approach those difficulties. A great teacher can also help you sort through what is happening in your practice and suggest ways to address the difficulty.

Just like any building needs good construction from the ground up in order to be solid, secure and stable, our meditaiton practices need to be constructed with a solid and secure foundation. Starting with an intentnion, commiting to a regular schedule, setting aside a special place and developing a stable posture build a strong foundation. From there we can build out our medtiaiton by seeking instruction, journaling and logging, and becoming a member of a meditaiton community. Finally, not letting difficulties chase you off the cushion by seeking insight and direction from teachers will assure that your practice stays strong and solid for years.