Meditating every day

Those who have been reading this blog for a while, know that I’ve been dabbling in mindfulness meditation for a long while (and had been, already a decade before starting this blog). My problem with meditation in the past was paradoxical: I’d commit to my practice for a while, and do quite well, but then at some point life would get busier and more stressful, and I’d give up my meditation again.

At the end of 2019, I started the Headspace 365 program – a year-long program of meditations. I was doing quite well with the program, but lots of travel in early 2020 derailed me. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and I went into survival-mode. Finally, a few weeks into the pandemic, I realized I could use the tranquillity that meditation brings me now more than ever. So, I committed to meditate daily.

To commit to daily meditations, I decided to meditate first thing in the morning – even if that meant waking up at 6am (and currently even earlier to do my early morning writing). I continued doing the Headspace 365 program, but also decided for myself that on busy days, a shorter meditation would be fine as well. At this point, the effort was more about building the habit than anything else.

And now, a year later, I can say that my morning meditation has become the anchor of my day. It helps me be a calmer parent and a more focused researcher. I hope I can continue this habit for another year, or even more!