There is a strong awareness nowadays of the value of meditation and many have tried it – or at least thought about trying it. Yet still relatively few are actually practising every day, despite all meditation’s myriad benefits.
The main reason for this lack of persistence is the challenge of incorporating meditation into our already-busy daily routines. The irony is our busy lives are crying out for meditation – yet we are too busy to meditate. Catch 22.
To get lasting value from meditation it is not enough to attend a class or read a book – or think about doing so. We have to practise – daily – for months. That means establishing a practice. So let’s get started …
Where to meditate?
We are creatures of habit, so just as it is essential to find a set time, so also it is essential to establish a place – typically a corner of our room – which is set aside just for our meditation. Keep this area clean, neat and pure.
Having a “place” for our meditation is both symbolic and practical.
Symbolically, we are creating space in our lives for meditation, acknowledging that the benefits we hope to gain – peace, love, confidence, joy – are of utmost importance.
On a practical level, creating a set place helps us establish our practice. Just as we associate different places with different activities, and just seeing those places puts us in mind of those activities – seeing the refrigerator we think of food, seeing the bath we think of taking a nice hot bath – so having a place for meditation right there in front of us reminds us of our commitment to meditate, and when we sit down there, the association of place with activity helps draw us into meditation.
No delay, clear your meditation space today.