Making meditation a daily habit

Meditate at the same time every day to create a positive routine for yourself. It’s helpful to begin your day with meditation before your schedule starts, or meditate in the evening when you are winding down before bed. If it is absolutely impossible to find a consistent time for meditation, don’t stress! A few minutes of meditation at any point in your day has been proven to boost your mood, immune system, and sleep.

Use your meditation time as a self-care pamper session. Use an extra comfy cushion, cozy blanket, essential oils, incense, eye pillow, candles or anything else that makes the experience feel special for you. Of course, you don’t actually need any of these things to meditate! But when you turn your meditation practice into a relaxing break you really look forward to, you might find that you make it a regular practice.

Come out of your meditation slowly. Spend a moment in gratitude for having the time and energy to practice. After your meditation, you might find that you are more in tune with what you need: gentle stretching, drinking water, more quiet time, music, journaling or creating art. Use these moments of reflection to take better care of yourself! Your body and mind will thank you for the extra attention.

Experiment! Do you prefer total silence or a guided meditation with a theme like self-compassion? Do you enjoy the sound of rain or prefer listening to singing bowls? Are you content to sit, or is your back more comfortable if you lie down to meditate? Do you find that counting your inhales and exhales is helpful, or do you prefer to let go of all focus on the breath? Your meditation practice might shift and change--stay curious about what serves you the best.

Remember that good things take time. The benefits from a regular meditation practice can grow into wonderful and unexpected results, but they take time to bloom. Be patient with yourself and your meditation and recognize that it’s a practice not a perfect.

Want more tips for your meditation practice? Read my Mini Meditation Guide!