By Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.
I often hear people say they meditate when they have time for it. The problem with this is that finding that time is not easy for most people.
In teaching meditation for over four decades, I have come to understand that this integration part of the training is often the difference between learning a meditation practice and maintaining one.
For example, one might meet the cushion, settle in, and feel the momentary stillness of just sitting. Then, within moments, one can become flooded with all the many things and commitments of the day. This cascade of the mundane and significant aspects of life can captivate one’s attention, pulling them out of the inward meditative experience.
They may easily be drawn into reconsidering this precious time spent “doing nothing,” thereby keeping themselves at the threshold of quietude rather than stepping into it.
Giving Yourself Permission
One of the things I say to myself and teach my students is to intentionally commit the time. You may say to yourself, “This is my time to merely hang out with me, regardless of what comes forward in this space.”
There can be an added declaration of knowing: I have nothing calling for me in this moment and nowhere I must be other than here, right now. This is time I have literally carved out. There is a knowing that once this time has passed, I will find myself on the other side of it feeling clearer, with more vitality, creativity, patience, optimism, and overall wellbeing.
This reminder yields a permissiveness to hang freely in this “settling-in” phase of one’s meditation. After over 50 years of meditation, I still sometimes hold that thought as I enter into meditation. It is very intentional and offers a platform of permission that allows one to pass beyond that threshold (the first handful of minutes) well into the open ease of silence.
If you have stifled your practice by not having a personal ramp that allows you to simply be with yourself, try this. It may amaze you to see how effortlessly it supports your “finding the time” to meditate.
For more insights on how to meditate, see Being the Light: Everyday Meditation ~ A Spiritual Memoir
For help in establishing or enhancing your meditation practice, feel free to reach out here: https://partners-in-prevention.org/contact/