I gave a talk yesterday to some of the Swisse vitamins crew in Melbourne. They were a great bunch of people and it was fantastic to see a workplace which is so pro-health. They have a meditation session in the afternoon for those wanting to relax and they also have a fantastic gym in their centre.

Afterwards, one of the team came up and told me about her meditation experience. She knew it was a valuable practice in her life, but she struggled to make it a daily habit, and she used it more reactively when she felt stress building up. She wondered how much she should try and make it part of her daily routine. The answer is a very personal and individual one.

My advice for someone starting out on a meditation journey is to make it a daily practice. In my early days it was 20 minutes twice a day. Because I enjoyed the practice and could feel some benefits, I actually looked forward to this. It wasn’t a struggle or effort. And there is no doubt that the effects of meditation are cumulative. You need to find a method that suits you and your temperament. There’s no point doing something that creates an internal revolt. Find ease and go with that.

And if it all just feels too hard, then don’t worry. Just be easy with it. The right time must come for meditation to ripen and happen. Too much force, strain or rigidity is also not a useful thing. In the Indian tradition, formal seated meditation is only one of the ways to access a peaceful mind. Some people need more action, others need devotion, and many may use a creative pursuit to find it. Meditation is just one way. Ultimately meditation is about being present and finding a way to be in a meditative state all the time and not just in the 20 minutes. And once it becomes integrated and established, the practice maybe dropped or picked up at any time at will.

There’s enough things in life that we have to struggle with. Don’t make meditation another one! Find an easy way and let it be an enjoyable part of your routine.

Be Well

In Health and Wellness