How to introduce meditation into your daily life?

Meditation. For some, this practice holds the promise of a better life. For others, it's simply impossible to imagine. What if it were easier than you thought? Here's a quick guide to introducing meditation into your life.

Our friend the hamster

To meditate is to study your mind. It's to stop for a moment to watch it do its thing, to see it active, to analyze it while it searches for the problem. Some call it "the hamster," the one that's always running, that runs, that never gets out of breath. Except that we are, out of breath. We can't stand to feel it running between our ears anymore. So we decide to stop—voluntarily—and sit down, to make it slow down. That's what meditating is all about: making the hamster slow down.

Does a hamster slow down?

That's the beauty of practicing meditation: realizing that the hamster has moved on and coming back to an anchor point. Again and again. Going off into one thought, and coming back, then going off into another thought, and coming back. That's why we talk about the "practice" of meditation. We have to practice seeing ourselves go. The more we know about how the mind works, the more we'll be able to choose what we do with it . In other words, instead of being swept away by a wave, for example anger, we'll be able to choose our thoughts, or if you prefer, how we'll react to the situation.

Where to start?

The very first thing to do is to realize how much meditation will improve your quality of life. Because this training will allow you to choose your reactions to the different challenges that life will throw at you . And there will be some. But this time, you will be master of your ship, master of your thoughts and your emotions. For this, you must practice, for real.

The first step is to choose a place where you will practice. It doesn't have to be calm and quiet (on the contrary, some would say that meditating in a noisy environment is a better practice for concentration!). This can be in your home, at the office, or on the train. If you feel like it, you can set up a cozy little corner, with a meditation cushion (zafu), a tray or chair, a plant, or a candle.

Next, determine the frequency and duration of your practice. If you are a beginner, begin your practice with a 5-minute sit. If you are an experienced practitioner, resume your practice where you left off (20, 30, 45 minutes).

Finally, sit comfortably with your back straight, shoulders down, and jaw muscles relaxed. Close your eyes, or keep them half-closed. Pay attention to your breathing. The air going in and out of your nostrils. The air going in is cool, the air going out is warm. Pay attention only to this breath, which follows you wherever you go.

Of course, after one, two, or—if you're really focused—three breaths, your mind will wander off into a thought like, what am I having for dinner? Oh yeah, ummm, lasagna, that's going to be good! The idea of ​​practicing meditation is to notice when the mind wanders and come back to the breath. Thought, back to the breath, thought, breath, and so on. This is how, over time, you'll come to understand your hamster friend better and be able to tell him to go to bed more easily.

Is it non-negotiable?

As my teacher Nicole Bordeleau says so well, "it's non-negotiable." In other words, we have to sit down, we have to do it, without constantly asking ourselves "do I do it tonight?", "I did it yesterday, maybe I could skip it one evening"... We do it for our mental and physical health with the conviction that this practice will bring real changes in our lives.

Now, settle down in your favorite place 4 to 6 times a week. 5 minutes the first week, then 10 minutes the second, and then 15 minutes the third. You can keep your practice at 15 minutes a day, or increase it to 20 minutes. There's only one thing to do: pay attention to your breathing, noticing the thoughts that arise. See them as clouds in the sky and let them pass, without clinging to them. Simply return to the breath.

Meditating in real life

Slowly, you will begin to "carry" this presence with you, this awareness of your breath, your mind, your emotions, wherever you go. Because being mindful on your cushion, only to get lost as soon as you get up, is of little use. You will carry this profound "presence" with you. The practice can lead you to be more attentive to others, because you will be calmer, more composed. You will prepare dinner with more attention, you will watch your children play differently, you will be able to open your heart to infinity, because you will no longer be the hamster's slave, but rather its friend.  

Good practice :-)

Madeleine