Please watch the video above for the quick story and more details to help you. Below is the summary:
I recently celebrated meditating for 1000 days in a row.
I'm not an inherently structured or consistent person, and this is the only performance habit I've had this level of commitment to ever. Why? Because it's worth it. My meditation practice has made an incredible difference in all areas of my life. I want to encourage you to try it, restart it, or deepen your current practice.
I want to break a myth about meditation, which is also my most important learning. It is NOT about NOT thinking when you are meditating. It IS about the practice of realizing you are thinking or caught in a mental loop or train of thought, and returning to an object of focus for your meditation like your breathing, a word, mantra, image, sound, etc. You are building this awareness and the mental muscle of focus, which results in a deepened presence in your life. This then directly translates to less stress, more clarity, and a space for grace and peace you can access in seconds when you need it.
If you are trying to get started, I like the free intro series on the Headspace app.
If you are a reader, 8 Minute Meditation by Victor Davich is the book that really helped me get a regular practice started in 2011.
And if you prefer direct guidance to get started, or are ready to take your practice to the next level, I can't say enough about my meditation coach, Mr. Joe Zarantonello: https://looseleafhollow.com/
Bonus tip: an essential key has been tracking my habits in an app. My favorite is “Streaks” which leverages the psychological power of our drive to not break a streak.
I hope this inspires you to pursue your meditation practice. As little as 5-10 minutes a day can get you started and on the way to the long list of scientifically proven benefits.
