3 Top Tips to Start a Daily Meditation Practice

myDrishti Jen Greenslade - Meditation (Soultraits Photography)

We know it’s easy to fall out of healthy habits over the silly season – and right now is often the time of year when we decide to let go of our new year’s resolutions all together and hope we do better next time. But we’re here to tell you that any time of year is the perfect time to start or nurture your meditation practice.

Here are our top tips for meditation + how to integrate it into your daily life!

Tip #1 - Start where you are

We get it, you have a million other things on your plate and adding in 20 minutes for meditation a day seems impossible. Or maybe you don’t have a million things to do but your practice just doesn’t feel like a priority, for whatever reason – and that’s okay. Start where you are. If you’re new to meditation or just getting back into it, you can start small. As soon as you wake up in the morning, lie on your back and take five mindful breaths. Eventually you might work your way up to sitting upright and repeating a mantra for five minutes or moving to the loungeroom and sitting on your bolster for twenty minutes of breath awareness.

Tip #2 - Find a meditation practice that you enjoy

When we don’t enjoy something, we don’t tend to stick to it. Yes, there is definitely an element of discipline when it comes to any practice, and you might not have the time of your life – but see if you can find a meditation style that suits you. If you find meditation boring – why not try a guided yoga nidra or visualisation. If you find it difficult to concentrate, japa might be your jam. Or if you feel overwhelmed, a simple breath awareness may be the key to calm.

“Your goal is not to battle the mind but to witness the mind”– Swami Muktananda

Tip #3 - Add it to your daily rituals – by habit stacking

If you want to integrate meditation into your daily routines, try adding it to something you do already. You always wake up in the morning – so set the alarm ten minutes earlier and do your meditation first up. You always brush your teeth – so slot your meditation practice in before or after that. If your mornings feel frantic and it’s just not happening – add it to your evening routine or do a short meditation/visualisation as soon as you jump into bed at night. You might need to set yourself a few reminders, but it will become part of your daily routine in no time.

Remember, it takes time...

Like everything, integrating a new habit takes time and consistency. Keep it short and simple; start where you are, find a style that you enjoy, add it to something you already do each day and you'll be meditating every day in no time! If you work from home or close by to the studio, duck out during lunch and join Carolina for a guided meditation class on Fridays at 12:15pm (no need to change clothes).

We'd love to hear your thoughts, comment below. What are your biggest struggles with meditation? Do you have any other tips that help you that you'd like to share with the tribe?