I began a failed meditation practice about twenty years ago.
As an athletic hothead, my goal was to reduce my unpleasant sports outbursts. I envisioned an overall calming effect to help me take unimportant stuff less seriously.
I bought a short guide and found a comfortable cushion. The guide unfortunately insisted that “real” meditation be done in the lotus position. For someone with the flexibility of an old tree, sessions were difficult. It was hard to calm my mind when my knees were screaming.
The pain of practice turned me off meditation entirely.
I was clearly not a meditator.
Only an ironic twist would bring me back. The most distracting tool — my iPhone — would pave the path.
Consistency is important to develop any habit and the key to consistency is setting yourself up for success. A meditation practice needed to be simple to start and easy to continue.
Whereas my previous foray was derailed by a superficial aspect of the process, body position, the less-judgemental meditation apps now available on the phone were like habit chlorophyll — the necessary catalyst to real practice.
I began with the Simply Being app (which I now use to nap), moved to Headspace, and I’m currently using Waking Up.
I discovered, though, that choice of app matters less than the selection of a regular time and, you guessed it, physically comfortable place.
Less obstacles = greater success. Duh.
My simple, daily meditation practice helps calm my mind.
Turns out I am a meditator.