~We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit~ Aristotle
There was a time in my life when I would have told you that habits are bad, boring and served no purpose other than the minds grandiose attempt to trap us. Okay, if I had been honest I would have said that I spent most of my life trapped in subtle destructive patterns! Habits are routine behaviors that can occur with or without conscious awareness. Since most people are not into self analysis their habits are primarily subconscious actions and reactions! Habits can be good or bad. Bad habits are defined by the affect they have on the individual or those around us. Addiction is not a bad habit because bad habits can be corrected once the will or intention to do so has been engaged. Good habits seem much harder to form but oh so much easier to live with. They require my intention and my attention!
Meditation is a habit! It is one that I welcome and enjoy with every fiber of my being and has been cultivated slowly over time. This life altering ritual was not always part of my daily routine. My empathy and compassion for those of you who struggle to begin and stick with a daily practice is wide spread. Beginning the practice of meditation was a slow hit or miss process for me. From the time of my first introduction to the point of it becoming a daily desire took a good fourteen years. And I am by far anything other than a beginning meditator six years after beginning a daily practice.
The foundation of meditation always rest securely on the beginning practice. The basics of meditation are:determine the amount of time you'd like to dedicate to your practice and set a timer for say 10 minutes; find a safe and comfortable place - preferably one that is quiet and free from distractions; sit comfortably in a chair, easy pose or you can begin with full lotus pose; begin to follow your breathe in and out, focus on the third eye about an inch above and in the middle of your brow line; your mind will begin to wander - do not follow it, bring your focus back to your breath; as you begin to settle into meditation your breathing will become slow and rhythmic, you will have an awareness of what's around you but you will begin to feel content just to sit and breathe and be exactly where you are. As you finish your practice remember to open your eyes very slowly and stretch out your arms and legs before standing up.
The true benefits of meditation do not come in the time we spend sitting in quiet contemplation - the true benefits come in the way we touch the lives of others!
