Three time tested ways to make sure you meditate every day

Finding the discipline to meditate every day can often prove to be challenging so here are three time tested methods which will help you to establish and maintain your personal meditation practice.

1. Creating a meditation space at home

If possible create a special, designated area in your home where you will practice your meditation. It could be an area in your bedroom or office, or wherever you have space. If you are lucky enough to have room that you can dedicate completely to your meditation then that is even better!

Set your meditation space up comfortably, simply and beautifully so that it encourages you to want to sit and practice. You may like to create a small alter with a candle and a beautiful incense holder that you can light when you practice.

If you wish you can also place some pictures of people or things on your alter that inspire you. Perhaps a picture of a spiritual teacher that you have a lot of respect for or some beautiful items from nature that invoke a sense of connection to something divine and meaningful for you.

Make it a welcoming and beautiful space that you will look forward to sitting in. With your dedicated practice this space will over time become a sacred and special place for you which will naturally evoke a sense of peacefulness each time you enter it.

2. Practice at the same time every day

A great way to support your meditation practice is to choose a time of the day that suits you and then meditate at this same time every day.

If you practice daily in this way it will become a habit and you will find this supports you to easily slip into your practice as part of your daily routine. It can be very easy to put off meditation and procrastinate about it if you do not have a set time to practice. Then, by the end of the day, you may find yourself too tired to practice and somehow the whole day goes by without you having meditated.

Choose a set time each day and you will be much more likely to stick to that time and mediate each day. Some people like to practice meditation first thing in the morning when they wake up; some people like to practice meditation when they arrive home from work, or in the evening.

Find out what works best for you then choose a time and aim to stick to it each day. Even if you don’t think you’ll be able to practice every day then set a reasonable goal for yourself that you feel will be maintainable. Maybe every second day or maybe every week day but not on the weekends. Whatever works for you as long as it is regular.

I personally like to wake up in the morning, have a cup of tea, then do some gentle yoga practice and then meditate. Each person is different.

3. Connect with like minded people (the yoga and meditation practice community)

There are many groups all over the world that meet on a regular basis to practice meditation together. Practicing in a group has a special, supportive energy about it and many people find they have a deeper and more focused meditation experience when practicing together with others.

Group practice also gives you the opportunity to connect with the Sangha. Sangha is a Sanskrit word for the community of like-minded people who practice meditation or other forms of spiritual practice.

Meeting with Sangha is considered an important part of the path of meditation practice. It connects us with the wider community of practitioners and supports and inspires us on our journey. Even if there is not a group in your area practicing the same kind of meditation as you, you could still join a community that is practicing another form of meditation.

If there are no groups at all in your area you might even think of starting a group. It takes a little bit of discipline and focus to stick to meditating every day, but just remember to enjoy the practice and do whatever you feel will make it a relaxing and beautiful experience for yourself. Then it will be a pleasure for you to meditate each day.

I hope these points have been helpful and I hope your meditation practice brings you lots of happiness and deep contentedness!

With Love Katie Rose Meehan