Meditation is a must in your family’s life. Thousands of research studies prove the benefits of meditation ranging from mood, anxiety, blood pressure, focus, memory, immune system, and so on. So, we all need to start meditating, like, yesterday.
Sounds great, right?
Having time to meditate every day with all your free time?
“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” ~ Thich Naht Hahn
Sure. Well, I am here to help you. I believe wholeheartedly in the powerful benefits of meditation. I also believe that meditating can be and should be a part of all our lives. You can make it happen. You have to make it happen. As a side note, read this post for books for helping your child meditate. In the meantime, read this post on simple ways to find your way back to mindful parenting.
3 Easy Ways to Start Meditating
Start small
Baby steps often lead to great behavioral change down the road. I started with two minutes of meditating a day, and moved up to five fairly easily. Ten minutes works best for me in my current life state. Ten minutes is my optimal time period. Tiny steps work well for many of us. Some of us need to start with a bang. If that IS you, consider a meditation intensive retreat to get you going.
Timing
Choose a time to meditate every day. Same time. If the time isn’t working, find another time. Creating a habit around meditating might take time depending on if you are more prone to familiarity versus novelty (a la Gretchen Rubin’s Better than Before). If you like familiarity, meditation might need to make a spot on your calendar for a while before it becomes a natural part of your day. Novelty folks will adapt more quickly.
Find a guide
To help you make meditation an everyday natural occurrence. A guide can come in the form of your own self-control, a book, or applications for your smartphone. I am a big fan of the latter with Calm and Headspace my go to virtual gurus.
Now, with all that free time, start meditating, mama. I promise it won’t let you down.
Marnie