Forget training for a marathon, or getting into a yoga routine. This is the hardest wellness habit I've ever gotten into. It took me years to give it a real shot. Despite reading countless articles about the meditation's benefits, I resisted. The barrier wasn't money (it's free!), or lack of equipment (none needed--not even shoes!)--or any of the other common excuses I could give. The barrier I kept running into was my desire to keep going, going, going... The last thing I wanted to do was be alone with my own thoughts, which felt both scary and like a waste of time. It wasn't that I didn't think I would see any benefits. If anything, I knew it would probably help me calm down and feel better. But I knew it would be hard for me. So I avoided it.
It took me experiencing the physical effects of years of stress on my body to really get serious about using it as a way to relax, but, once I have a goal, I drive myself towards it (sometimes to a fault!)--I'm committed. Here are the ones I found most helpful, that got even a type A, impatient busy bee like me to slow down (in no particular order):
Starting a sustained meditation practice was harder for me than getting myself to train for a marathon. Which probably shows how much I needed it! After all, as they say, "If you don't have 20 minutes to meditate, you really need 2 hours." Ain't that the truth. Comments are closed.
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