Here
are some ways to make meditation less of a chore and more like a fun, doable
thing for you.
1.
Try the 100 breaths technique:-
This is a highly
complex meditation technique!
I take 100 breaths.
I count them. I try not to think about anything else.
Yup. It’s
revolutionary. And it also really works for me. It gives my brain something to
do (wee! counting!) while the rest of me is just hanging out, inadvertently
meditating.
The
lesson here is this: There are so many ways you can meditate. Explore them to
find a way that’s really easy for you, and just do that.
2.
Take a meditation nap:-
Be careful. This one
is complex. Oh yes—it’s the love child of a meditation and a nap.
Lie down on a bed,
couch, or sun lounge, or pile your (empty) bath with pillows and blankets.
Close your eyes and
do nothing. Maybe you’ll fall asleep. Maybe you’ll have Zen inspiration. Maybe
you’ll just happily float along. Either way, it will be sublime.
My favorite
meditation nap consists of a sun lounge, a blanket, an afternoon, and my ipod
filled with lovely music. If Zen master meditation retreats consisted of this
kind of meditating, I could totally do them!
The
lessons here is: Meditation should be enjoyable. We only consistently do things
we actually like doing!
3.
Use the alarm clock meditation:-
If 100 breaths isn’t
going to cut it for you, set a timer for five minutes. Then meditate until
the timer goes off. This way, you don’t have to wonder about how long it’s
been, or how much longer you should meditate for. It’s like meditation on cruise-drive.
The
lesson here is: Make your meditation as cruise-drivey as possible.
4.
Get comfortable;-
I started looking at
things that annoyed me about meditation, the stuff that held me back from doing
it. And one of the annoying things was this: I don’t like being uncomfortable.
I don’t think anyone
does. And sitting cross-legged in lotus with a straight back and poised mudra
fingers doesn’t spell comfortable to me. It spells pins and needles, sore butt,
and achy back.
Maybe when I’m a
woo-woo yoga guru master it won’t, but for right now, I’m not, and it does. So
for me, it’s an exercise in getting comfy without falling asleep.
What this looks like
for me is sitting in a comfy armchair inside, lying on a sun lounge on the back
deck, or leaning against a wall outside. What comfy looks like to you might be
totally different.
The
lesson here is: Meditating isn’t an exercise in feeling uncomfortable. It’s a
place of rest, stillness and comfort. So get comfy.
5.
Start small:-
When I really,
really need to meditate and I don’t feel like I have time, I make a little pact
with myself. I say to myself, “Okay, we so don’t have to meditate for any
pain-in-the-butt time at all. Let’s just do ten breaths.”
And my logical brain
says:
“Ten breaths? You
think I have time for ten breaths of meditation? Are you kidding me! I have
stuff to do lady! We’re not on retreat you hippy!”
And I say, “Oh. I
know you’re really busy. I really feel like I need this. You and me. Besides,
it’s only for ten breaths.”
Logical brain:
“Fine. But only ten. And I’m counting.”
And then we do our
ten breaths and it’s nice. And we either stop there because we feel like we’ve
refreshed just enough, or we keep going for another ten or twenty because it
just feels so good.
The
lesson here is: Start small. Everyone has time for 10 breaths. See what
happens. It’s a little way of moving around resistances.
6.
Make it a reward:-
Meditation should be
fun and easy, and it should feel good for you, not excruciatingly boring or
painful. Work out the thing about meditation that makes it really, really
useful for you. Not “I should meditate because everyone says so.” Not even an
“I should meditate.”
Find a way that
makes you think, “I want to meditate.”
Here’s the
meditation pay-off for me:
Whenever I take 100
breaths, it’s kind of boring for the first half. But after that, it feels like
nirvana. I don’t know if it’s a rush of oxygen to the head or just because I
finally relax then, but whatever it is, the second half is good.
And it makes the
beginning so very, very worth it. My little reward is
the second-half release.
The
lesson here is: Find your personal treat from meditating. And keep remembering
it. Use it as a reward for getting yourself there.
7.
Use help when you need it:-
When I need extra
help in meditating, I use CDs. They’re like my own little personal guides into
sweet-calm-space.
Try out different
CDs, guides, and meditation techniques, and see what works for you. And what
works for you, make that the golden wisdom in your life.
The
lesson here is: Don’t think you have to go it alone. Everything’s easier with a
little support.
8.
And most of all…
Remember that the
reason you aren’t meditating right now is not because you are lazy. It’s
because you haven’t yet found a way to meditate for you that is fun, easy, and
comfortable for you. Find the way that does, and then it’s much, much easier.
Remove the annoying
parts from meditating. Try out all the different ways you can to make it as
lovely an experience as possible.
