Slowly Learning to be Mindful and Meditate by Teacher in Training Mary Jo Bonadonna

I seem to be hearing so much about meditation these days.  Everyone seems to be practicing mindfulness, and meditation has become quite popular.  Celebrities and professional alike boast of their meditation practices.  My employer encourages learning to meditate and even offers daily guided meditation sessions.  Most of the time I am too inundated with work to attend, but hey it’s out there!  According to Tim Ferriss, entrepreneur and author, “80% of top business leaders meditate”.
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention, on purpose, to each moment.  Mindfulness can promote feelings of calmness, increased concentration, increased creativity, elevated mood, improved sleep and promote overall health.


When can we practice mindfulness?

• The moment we wake up in the morning
  
• The moment we drink our coffee in the morning
  
• The moments we wait in line at the grocery store
  
• The moments we wait for our computer to boot up
  
• The moments we wait for a meeting to start
  
• The moment s we are waiting to pick up our son or daughter from practice
  
• The moment we go to bed at night
  
• And any other moment throughout our day!
  

Meditation is simply a way to enhance the capacity to be mindful.
Most of us have some trouble meditating.  We have this need to be doing something.    We listen to our thoughts.  We are aware of our urges to do something else and to plan.  With meditation we learn to quiet our thoughts and to be still.  It can be quite difficult until we cultivate the habit.    
Meditation Basics:

• Posture – Find a posture that works best… sitting, standing, cross-legged, kneeling, lying down or even walking.  
  
• Focus – Direct your attention.  Start with something easy like breathing… have an anchor.  Most recently, I have started using a mala.  I’m finding it to be an excellent anchor for me.  And having made it myself, it feels special.
  
• Redirect (this is where I struggle) – as we drift off into our thoughts, we need to redirect attention back to our anchor.  Whereas I was frequently drifting off and getting frustrated with myself, now I am more accepting that this is natural, and I try to refocus.
  

Sustaining our practice:

• Remember there is no perfection in meditation.
  
• Find ways to fit it into your life and create a space or sanctuary.   I have picked a small corner  in my bedroom.  It’s tiny, but I have filled it with pillows, candles,  pictures that make me relax and pretty things.   “When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” – Jean Shinoda Bolen
  
• Seek support.  There is an abundance of resources including free apps to download.
  
• Keep it going!  Our lives are busy and filled with clutter.  This takes commitment.  Work on it until it becomes something you just do!
  

When my meditation closes, I often find myself smiling.  I feel more grateful and ready for the challenges that life throws at me.  This is clearly an indication for me that I should be diligent in my practice.  I want to share my newfound practice and joy with family and friends.  I hope they can feel the same way!
~Peace~

MaryJo Bonadonna

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