Begin Again
Last year I began meditating in earnest. I’d go for a stretch of weeks of consistent practice, and then completely drop the ball and go for weeks — or months — meditating sporadically, if at all. Then, eventually, I’d recommit and begin again.
There were several cycles of this.
About two months ago I started meditating again and have been going strong since. Not every single day, but pretty close to it. I offer no predictions about how long this go-round will last, but I take solace in knowing that if and when I do stop, and for however long, I can always pick it right back up and begin again.
I sit for about 30 minutes before getting ready for work each day, sometimes using guided meditation audios, sometimes not.
My usual practice is a version of mindfulness meditation. It amounts to sitting still and paying attention to the physical sensations of breathing. After doing this for a time, your attention will inevitably be hijacked by your thoughts (probably a lot sooner than you think). Once you realize this has happened, regardless of how long or short a period of time has passed, you simply — as gently and non-judgmentally as possible — bring your attention back to the breath and begin again. That’s it.
Sounds like a pointless activity, doesn’t it? How could doing something like this be beneficial?
