It took me a long time to develop my meditation habit.
I knew the benefits of it such as stress reduction, increased attention, and improved sleep, but I just couldn’t make myself do it. I was too scattered. Too fidgety. Too impatient for it to be over.
Last year I finally “got it” with the help of Insight Timer.
Here’s what worked for me:
— I don’t sit cross-legged. (I have bad knees and this was just physical torture.) I don’t even sit on the floor. I do however have a physical cue that it’s time to meditate. I hold crystals like these. Since I don’t normally walk around with rocks in my hands, my body knows it’s time to be still when I pick these up.
— I started small. Three minutes to start. Even that was challenging. Now I do a minimum of 45 minutes, but my “sweet spot” is about an hour to seventy minutes.
— At first I used guided meditations, then I progressed to using the timer with “reminder” bells to keep me focused. I still use the timer, minus the reminders, because it keeps me from checking the clock.
My sleep has improved, my attention is better and I’m less stressed.
Do you meditate?
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