Don’t put pressure on yourself for perfect meditation consistency; it’s okay to have gaps, just return to the practice, as this reduces self-judgment and encourages continued engagement.
Consider meditation to manage stress and maintain composure in high-pressure environments, as observed in a colleague who transformed from ‘wound up’ to ‘cool’ after starting the practice.
When meditating, don’t try to force your mind to be thoughtless; instead, acknowledge thoughts as they arise, gently recognize them, and then redirect your attention back to your practice.
Practice meditation consistently for 20 minutes in the morning, and allow an additional two minutes to transition out of the meditative state gradually. Consider adding a second session in the afternoon, regardless of your schedule, for potentially enhanced benefits.
Use meditation to cultivate a mindset of fully experiencing present moments, both good and bad, rather than rushing through them, to gain understanding and insight into your path.
Don’t wait for fear to disappear before taking action; instead, acknowledge its presence and ‘push through it’ to achieve your goals, as fear often doesn’t subside on its own.
Incorporate early morning meditation into your routine, as it can provide a sense of increased rest and energy, akin to gaining extra sleep, despite waking up earlier.
Don’t judge the depth or quality of your meditation sessions; even a ‘shallow’ experience still provides benefits, similar to how dipping into a pool still gets you wet.
Meditation can lead to increased mindfulness and a calmer demeanor, helping you align with the person you’ve always wanted to be, with effects often noticed later in the day.
Meditation can help you catch yourself before reacting impulsively and reduce the intensity or frequency of negative emotional responses, even if they don’t disappear entirely.
To learn Transcendental Meditation, commit to an initial training period of three to four days, involving several hours each day, to become fully immersed in the practice.
When practicing mantra-based meditation (like TM), repeat your assigned mantra silently to yourself and keep it private, as it’s a personal tool for the practice.
For TM, you don’t need to adopt specific physical postures; you can meditate in a comfortable position that feels realistic and tangible for you.
Adjust the pace of your mantra repetition during meditation; slow it down when struggling with thoughts, or speed it up, finding a rhythm that helps manage mental chatter.
Establish a specific morning meditation ritual, including setting the room’s ambiance (e.g., certain shade) and sitting upright, to differentiate it from sleep and enhance focus.
If you have religious faith, integrate meditation as a complementary practice rather than viewing it as a conflict; it can enrich your spiritual life and prayer without requiring a specific belief system.
Incorporate a daily ‘prayer of protection’ (e.g., ‘The light of God surrounds me…’) as part of your morning ritual after meditation and before leaving the house, regardless of location.
Seek out and learn from the experiences of others, especially those who have overcome challenges, to find ‘clues’ for success and cultivate resilience in your own life.
When facing difficult times, remind yourself that ’this too shall pass’ to maintain perspective and encourage perseverance, even if you wish for relief sooner.