Dear Reader,
Toward the end of last year, I struggled with my morning meditation practice. I was on the cushion one day, off the next. One day off quickly turned into a week, and I would be faced with starting over.
This year, I made a new rule.
I meditate every morning, no matter what, no questions asked. Done.
So far… success! It’s much easier now, because the choice has been removed. I no longer put energy into deciding whether to meditate on any given day. I don’t spend time wondering if something else should come first, if I should wait until later – I hate to sound like the Nike commercial, but I just do it.
I haven’t been perfect; I’ve missed maybe two days so far this year. But I am getting back in that groove where meditating feels much better than not meditating, even on the days when it’s a struggle. Most days, it’s not. When you get to that point with any regular practice, you begin to look forward to it, and don’t like the thought of not doing it.
And those mornings when it feels delightful, when you feel like you are exploring an inner landscape filled sometimes with peace and quiet familiarity, and other times with unexpected mystery, make the effort far beyond worthwhile.
Dear reader, do you have a regular practice you do, whether meditation, journaling or walking in nature, that you put first, no matter what? Just making that commitment to yourself can be incredibly empowering. If you don’t have such a practice, start looking for one that feels right to you. And if you do have a practice that you are struggling with, try removing the choice – give it, and yourself, top priority. No debate, no questions asked. Done.
I honor your loving heart,
John
John I come from the other end of the spectrum! Where meditation seems as natural as eating and sleeping. But that’s because I’ve been doing this for a long time now. I had to struggle in my early practice to not make it ‘too special’ to the point of ritual or wondering why others didn’t want to participate! Yet when I believe in something I go über enthauastic …and you can’t do that in meditation. You have to let it come to you…and be open! Aha! Maybe I finally found a moment in balance….so the ‘just do it’ came to me …years ago and it just seems normal now.
Geoff says plant a tree! (his meditative moments)….:-)!
Funny how there can be polar extremes for any practice! Some people might struggle at first with not getting involved enough in meditation, while others, as you say, might go overboard. The good news is that whatever experience we have in our practice can tell us something useful about how we approach everything else in our lives.