Common thread in Lifelong MeditaTORS
Today’s VLOG is about how to commit to yoga, meditation, really anything that you're trying to do to improve your overall health and wellness. The research and data that I'm sharing is specifically regarding meditation, but it applies to anything. As a meditation instructor, one of the main concerns I hear from students is “why is it so hard to commit to this and how can I get to a place where I'm showing up consistently everyday for this practice?”
There is some research supporting the idea that people who have successfully committed to many years or a lifetime of meditation know their aspiration. They know why they're doing it. If we don't know what it's for and what it's about for us, we don't have anything to anchor into when life gets way more exciting than our meditation practice. Life is seductive. There are so many things taking our energy, our attention, our time, all of our resources. Spend a few minutes quietly to think about what this is about for you. I encourage you to take the long view.
I think of this in the big arc of my entire life. Why I want to take care of my mental health? For me, it's clear that I want to be lively, I want to be healthy, and I want to be as energized as possible as I age for my kids. Hopefully I'm alive to meet my grandkids and I want to bring the same energy to them.
In the moment when I examine what my resistance is, it's usually something very minor. Then, I think about my aspiration and my why and I think “I can do this for 15 minutes to start to build this structure within my brain, this study structure, and to continue to keep myself vital and healthy.”
I hope that helps you, whether it's working out running, yoga, meditation, whatever it is, you've got to look at the big picture. Otherwise, life will always get in the way and before you know it, it's January 1 again and you didn't do that thing that you said you were going to start to do in the new year. Before we know it 10 years has gone by. I always remind myself and my students that the time is now to start these practices and to anchor in. They are so rewarding and life affirming and I wish you so much luck on your journey.