Recognize life’s impermanence and the uncertainty of ’later,’ prompting you to dedicate yourself to what you love and find most meaningful in the present.
Cultivate self-compassion and regularly practice loving-kindness meditation, as these practices are strongly correlated with longer-lasting well-being benefits.
Become aware of the habit of beating yourself up, especially when lost in thought, because recognizing this pattern makes the experience less painful.
When experiencing self-doubt, simply label it as ’that’s doubt’ to pop the balloon of the thought spiral and disarm its power.
After noticing you’ve been lost in thought or self-criticism, gently escort your attention back to your breath to re-anchor yourself.
Pay attention to recurring unpleasant feelings or ‘background static’ in your life, as recognizing these subtle patterns reveals underlying habits of mind.
Understand that suffering arises from constantly grasping at impermanent things and believing all your thoughts, and practice letting go of these tendencies.
Parents should practice meditation themselves, allowing their personal practice to serve as a positive influence and example for their children.
For younger children, engage in simple practices like quiet moments or feeling emotions, and most importantly, truly ‘hang out’ with them by giving full, complete attention.
When with a baby or young child, practice full and complete attention on them, treating this focused presence as a form of meditation.
With younger children, join them in their natural fascination with the world, such as observing grass, to experience the world afresh and practice mindfulness.
When teaching mindfulness or any subject to young people, be totally authentic and consider how you frame the introduction, as genuine approach impacts effectiveness.
When introducing practices like mindfulness, emphasize self-exploration and personal experience over adopting a belief system, encouraging individuals to ’explore for yourself.’
Cultivate kind and curious attention by focusing on others without agenda, bringing your mind back if it wanders, and asking questions arising from genuine curiosity.
To create a safe and inclusive community, especially in group settings, minimize romantic or sexual distractions, allowing individuals to connect as friends.
For teenagers, introduce meditation as an option so they can get a taste of it and decide for themselves if it is helpful, without forcing it.
To encourage teenagers to try something like meditation, use peer-friendly marketing such as videos of other teens sharing positive experiences, rather than direct parental pressure.
Integrate a variety of practices into your routine, including sitting meditation, walking meditation, yoga, loving-kindness, and compassion practice, for a well-rounded approach.
Aim to dedicate between one to two hours daily to your meditation practice to cultivate deeper awareness and experience sustained benefits.
Engage in somatic meditation by focusing your awareness deeply inside your body sensations, rather than observing them from an external perspective.
Cultivate loving-kindness through a ‘felt sense’ practice, focusing on the internal sensation of wishing well, either with a specific target or as a general feeling.
Begin your meditation practice by lying down for about 10 minutes, focusing on a relaxing body scan, and then sit up to continue, using an alarm if needed.
During a body scan meditation, actively soften the muscles in each area of your body as you bring attention to it, combining relaxation with mindful awareness.
When meditating, pay attention to your posture by keeping your back straight and elongated, and lightly hold your attention on the breath at your low belly.
When lost in thought, notice if your body has tensed, then soften and relax, and investigate if you are avoiding a particular sensation or feeling, treating struggle as feedback.
When encountering an unpleasant sensation or feeling, practice softening around it and developing a willingness to be with the experience, rather than pushing it away.
During loving-kindness practice or anytime you need to feel grounded, let your awareness drop down and connect deeply with the earth, sensing your connection to its foundation.
If you are considering a meditation retreat, the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, is recommended as one of the best places to do it.