I’ve flirted with having a solid daily meditation practice since my early 20’s. Back then, I’d get on a good streak for a couple of weeks, and then head out to a wedding weekend or into a busy season of work and it would fall to the wayside. It wasn’t until I became pregnant in March of 2021, that I not only felt motivated to wake up each and every day to do it, but I genuinely loved and looked forward to it.

When it comes to starting a daily meditation practice, the rule of thumb is to be easy with yourself. This is not one of those habits that you need to get mad at yourself for not sticking to – it is self-care work, yes, but it’s still work! Sitting in the same category as exercise and a healthy diet, meditation can be challenging to work into a daily routine, but oh-so-rewarding when we do. Here are some insights from my own meditation journey that might help you start your own.

The benefit of a daily meditation practice

Throughout our day, we have experiences and conversations that we’re constantly reacting to. Oftentimes, without thinking or processing how they actually make us feel. And having those unaware reactions over and over again block us from feeling the calming and healing power of being present. Meditation is a beautiful practice that allows us to embrace stillness, presence and observance of our thoughts, by simply pressing pause.

The benefits of a daily meditation practice include lowered anxiety, increased happiness, and a myriad of health benefits that all follow suit when your body is less stressed.

Set a time and a place

One of the best ways to introduce a positive new habit is to attempt to do it at the same time and in the same place every single day. I meditate every single morning, before my baby and dogs wake up. I set my alarm for 6am, pour myself an iced coffee, and head to my little meditation corner – complete with a cozy rug and pillow to sit on. Creating this ritual every morning has made meditating as easy as brushing my teeth.

If you’re the kind of person who loves tracking a good habit streak, check out the Streak app. A friend of mine uses this to track her meditation practice and finds that seeing herself on a good streak, is enough motivation to keep going.

Start with a 5 minute meditation

You may hear about people who meditate for an hour a day and think: who has time for that? The funny thing is, once you have a developed meditation practice, you might be that person. But you don’t have to start there! Start with something easy and attainable, like a 5 minute meditation. You may want to increase that over time – or not!

Use a meditation app

Almost everyone I know who has a daily meditation practice, uses (or has used) an app to help guide their meditations. To me, listening to another person guide me through the process of clearing my mind is the ultimate relaxation. It’s one less thing I have to do, which makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

Another thing that’s nice about using an app is that these days, there are so many specific types of meditations to help someone through literally any season of life. Pregnant and struggling with first trimester nausea? There’s a meditation for that. Wanting to quit your job, but don’t know how to approach the conversation with your boss? There’s one for that too.

Meditate while doing yoga

If you’re having trouble finding the time and space to meditate, consider working your meditation practice into a routine that you already have. For example, during yoga! You can sign up for a yoga class at Bryony Body in Exeter, NH and treat your entire class as an exercise in meditation. Movement & meditation go hand in hand, so please – feel free to combine them.

Join us for yoga and meditation in Exeter

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

We offer in person and virtual yoga classes at Bryony Body in Exeter, NH. Take a look at our membership options to find the best fit for you. We can’t wait to see you in class!