My Meditation Practice
It has taken me a few years to settle on an approachable meditation practice that I can maintain. I think I was often intimidated by my yoga friends and teachers during my teacher trainings who had these big, beautiful meditation practices that sounded so amazing. I often thought I could be them. I tried a number of these, to include new moon/full moon rituals, daily gratitude journaling, daily chanting practices, or long pranayama sessions. Even though these practices felt amazing, when my schedule got crazy or I began to travel a lot I would lose touch. Falling off the wagon would not only make me feel off balance but also disappointed in myself. It took some time but I finally realized. I was the one setting these standards and making myself feel ashamed for not doing enough! How silly! In a world where so many people are going to judge, why would I add my own unnecessary judgement to the equation?
Learning from these experiences, I have settled on a simple formula that works for me. This formula is based on the fact that I knew daily practices were important to me. It also was important to me to have flexibility in what kind of practice I feel like that day.
Every morning, first thing after waking up and drinking some water, I walk to my guest bedroom, where my yoga mat is always rolled out. I sit on a yoga block in sukasana (easy pose) and I set a five minute timer to meditate. Five minutes is all I aim for, if I have more time I will go for 10 minutes. I use InsightTimer and choose an ambient sound that pleases me. Then I read from Rolf Gates’ book Meditations from the Mat. It gives me a quote and daily inspiration for how to incorporate my yoga practice into my life.
And that’s it! Then I go feed the cats before they think they are going to starve. This may be a simple practice but it is the small commitment I make to myself every morning. Not only does it center my mind but it keeps me inspired and receptive to what each day has to offer.
I would love to hear what small actions you take to put yourself first! Whether it is meditation, yoga, or other self care practices.
