Summary

The author shares their personal journey of building a meditation habit over 72 days, detailing their initial struggles, insights gained, and the benefits they've experienced.

Abstract

The article titled "72 Days of Meditation Habit Building" recounts the author's experience with starting and maintaining a meditation practice. Initially skeptical and uncertain about the right approach, the author decided to commit to 10 minutes of daily meditation in a simple format without music or specific postures. Over time, the practice became an essential part of their routine, leading to increased mindfulness and calmness. The author emphasizes that meditation is a skill that improves with time and offers advice on managing thoughts, physical discomfort, and the pressure of finding the perfect technique. They encourage readers to persist through initial challenges, as meditation can significantly enhance one's quality of life.

Opinions

The author believes that the potential benefits of meditation outweigh the risks, making it worth trying.
They express that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to meditation; different styles work for different individuals.
The author suggests that beginners should not be overly concerned with thoughts during meditation, advocating for a non-judgmental acknowledgment and release of thoughts.
Physical discomfort during meditation should not be a deterrent; it's about feeling the body rather than thinking about it.
The author opines that meditation is a skill that requires practice and time to develop, and initial struggles are a natural part of the learning process.
They advocate for a simple and consistent meditation routine, emphasizing that even a short daily practice can lead to significant improvements in mental well-being.
The author encourages readers to follow their example and give meditation multiple tries before dismissing it, suggesting that persistence will lead to enjoyment and benefits.

Meditation | Mindfulness | Productivity

72 Days of Meditation Habit Building

How I started meditating and what insights I gained.

We all heard about meditation. Some people are in awe of meditation. Some people think it is a useless waste of time. Who is right?

72 days ago, I didn’t know the answer. But there was a curious question:

What if I try it myself?

In the worst case, I would lose a couple of hours in a weird position on the floor. In the best case, I would open a world of mindfulness and calmness.

Chances to gain were high, risks were low. I decided to give it a try.

Now, 72 days later, I am grateful for that decision. I’ve successfully built a meditation habit. It became a mandatory part of my daily routine.

What is my meditation?

There are many different meditation techniques and styles. You can meditate in silence or with tantric music. You can sit in the lotus position or Turkish style. Your eyes may be closed or open. The perfect time for meditation is early in the morning or right before going to sleep.

I hesitated for a long time to choose the right one for me.

Luckily, there is no right answer. Different people prefer different meditation styles. All 3 of my friends who previously practiced meditation advised me the opposite. You can choose anything.

I chose the most convenient option for myself. Meditate for 10 minutes daily in the evening before bed. No music, lotus position, candles, or anything else hard to start with.

I didn’t change anything for 72 days of my challenge. Exactly the same simple rules. Further, I am going to increase the meditation duration because I began to enjoy the process a lot.

First steps in meditating

The first meditation was strange. You can say that about any first try: cooking, working out, or sex. But my first meditation was extremely weird.

I have read a few guides and got a general idea of how to meditate. Sit cross-legged, relax, focus on your breath, free your mind from any thoughts. Still, it didn’t prepare me for meditation practice.

I discovered everything during the meditation itself.

I sat down on the floor, crossed my legs like the monk I’d seen in the movie. Places my hands on my knees and stared at the wall. Then I tried to stop thinking and concentrated on my breath.

Well… It didn’t go the way it was explained in the guides. My mind didn’t want to become free of thoughts. The more I tried to stop thinking, the more thoughts my brain generated. They overwhelmed me:

Do I do it in the right way? Stop thinking! How can I stop thinking?! I stopped thinking… Wait, I think about it… Stop thinking! No more thoughts… Pink elephant… What?! Why do you think about a pink elephant? It doesn’t exist!

Soon my back and knees began to ache. My body wasn’t fond of such experiments. I started fidgeting on the floor, trying to get comfortable.

After 10 minutes of such torture, the timer rang. My first meditation was over. I was excited. Not because of meditation, but because of its end.

However, I decided to give it more than 1 try. So I kept torturing my mind and body for a couple more days. Then things began to get better.

Insight on how to start meditating

1. Don’t worry about thoughts

At the start, you, like me, will be overcome by random thoughts. Don’t worry about them. The more you focus on them, the more they come to your mind. It’s not what you want.

The efficient approach is to keep some images in the head. It could be the image of silence, void, or my favorite — a deep lake of consciousness.

The right way to treat extra thoughts is to acknowledge them and let them go. For example, during the meditation, you thought about a pink elephant. It’s fine. You catch yourself with this thought. Then you don’t think it forward, you don’t cry at yourself, you don’t generate any extra thoughts. Nothing bad happened. Just keep meditation, don’t distract on this pink elephant.

Imagine that you are above your thoughts. Kinda it isn’t your consciousness. You don’t think right now. You have no thoughts. Even if you catch some thought, you are only aware of it and let it go.

2. Don’t worry about body

The less you think about your body during meditation, the better it goes. It is necessary not to think about the body, but to feel it.

The best way to do this is to focus on your breath. What a surprise, huh?

But what does it mean to focus on the breath? You use the image of your breath to keep the empty mind. Instead of thinking about something you control every stage of breathing.

Like mantra:

Inhale. Keep breath. Exhale. Keep breath. Inhale. Keep breath. Exhale. Keep breath. Inhale. Keep breath. Exhale. Keep breath. Inhale. Keep breath. Exhale. Keep breath. Inhale. Keep breath. Exhale. Keep breath…

Another useful trick is to do a little warm-up before meditation. Nothing complex or blood pumping too much. Just twist your neck, then rotate your pelvis, do a couple of squats to stretch your knees. It will raise blood circulation to the optimal level.

3. Don’t worry about technique

Your first meditations may not be perfect. Just remember my first try.

Meditating is a skill. It needs time and development. You can’t become a master in one night. Spend some time on lousy meditations. Then later on you will get better and better with each next one.

Some elements work for one person and don’t work for another. Later, you will find the ideal conditions for meditation: time, place, position, sounds, and images to use.

Final Thoughts

The most difficult part is to start. I created a meditation habit in 72 days. Actually, it took less time. After 2–3 weeks of practice, I began to enjoy it.

Meditation can make your life better. You will find peace and mindfulness during the practice. My experience proves it.

Remember the key moment:

Don’t worry about thoughts
Don’t worry about body
Don’t worry about technique

Just give it a try like me. And then give it a couple more attempts to start working. Any progress requires time and practice.

Also, you can read about my other challenges here. For example, 365 days walking challenge, or 365 days exercise challenge.

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