A daily meditation practice can be like an “old, reliable friend.”

Someone who shares your same values, who you easily catch up with, and leaves you not wanting to wait so long to see your “BFF Meditation” again.

In her book, Live Learn Lovewell: Lessons from a Life of Progress Not Perfection, Emma Lovewell shares how her mother taught her to meditate during childhood, a practice she continues to this day.

Step One

Find a quiet room and some alone time. This can be the hardest part! Sneak away if you have to, or find little moments that you can carve out in your schedule. 

Step Two

Sit down comfortably on a pillow or chair.  If you are on a pillow, sit with your legs crossed. If you are on a chair, sit upright with both feet evenly resting on the floor. It  is ideal to create a regular time and place for your meditation practice. Your meditation space will cue your brain that it is time to relax, but  remember that meditation can be done anywhere.

Step Three

Lay your left hand on top of your right hand and let  your hands lie in your lap, with your thumbs facing inward. Touch the tips of your thumbs together. This hand position can be called “the cosmic mudra.” Your hands should be resting on your lap just below your navel, which is considered the spiritual and energetic center of the body.

Step Four

Close your eyes and breathe normally. Now start to count your breaths, every inhale and exhale counting as one breath.  Count to ten breaths, and then start  again at number one. The simplicity of this practice is beautiful, and your practice will only improve over time. Ease into it and enjoy.

A few tips from Emma’s mother:

Visualize the numbers in your head. If you are in early stages of your meditation practice, this tip can help to clear your head of other thoughts so you can focus.

Remember to treat your thoughts like clouds passing by; do not get attached to any one of them.

You must understand that you cannot be “good” at meditation. If your thoughts are wandering and you start thinking about your grocery list, your next meeting, or whether or not your kids are coloring on the wall, that is normal. When you catch your thoughts wandering off, start again at breath number one. No matter how many times it takes, continue to return to your breath and your counts.

As you progress through your meditation practice, you can begin to incorporate different mantras to repeat to yourself over and over again instead of counting.

Always remember Emma’s advice, “progress not perfection”!

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Lovewell, E. (2023.) Live Learn Lovewell: Lessons from a Life of Progress Not Perfection. New York: Penguin Random House, LLC. P. 160-162.