Starting a Practice
Like any new habit, starting a consistent meditation practice can be tough, especially when your mind seems chaotic whenever you sit down and pay attention to it. For most people, a formal meditation practice is the first time they've ever tried to follow their breath or watch their own thoughts.
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You sit down, thoughts flood in, the breath gets lost within seconds, and the instinct is to assume you’re bad at it. You’re not, this is where almost everyone starts. The untrained mind is chaotic, constantly dragging you into thoughts, worries, and daydreams. With practice, over time the mind gradually settles, becoming more stable, and the frequency and intensity of thoughts subsides.
Our minds have been shaped by years of conditioning from our home life, school, work, and social media. Shifting those patterns takes time, effort and patience, so the goal at the beginning is to develop consistency. Finding a few minutes each day to sit down and turn inwards, can go a long way. Over time as you start to notice benefits, finding the time and motivation to meditate will become easier. If you’ve never meditated before, I highly recommend starting with an app.
Recommended Apps
Each of the options below has a guided introductory course and they all offer a free trial so you can explore different teachers and approaches before committing to one. These apps also offer a large library of resources including daily guided meditations and additional courses to help take you further into your practice when you’re ready.
