For the past few weeks we have been exploring what are mindfulness & meditation & how they can help you to find more peace & calm & maybe ultimately stumble across subtle but profound transformations.

For many the hardest thing is settling into a routine with their meditation & mindfulness practice. But you as your practice evolves, so will you.  When I first started I didn’t meditate everyday; then I did but at random times; then I meditated before I went to bed; then I started waking up to meditate & journal before the day started.  Now I regularly rise before the rest of the house does (I have teenagers so it’s not sunrise early!) to meditate, practice yoga & face yoga & it has changed my life again (I always credit yoga & mindfulness with changing my life but it keeps doing so!).

I also always meditate before bed & put pen to paper in my gratitude journal.

Science has proven that meditating before bed & after waking up are particularly good times, as our mind is calmer & more receptive. I can definitely attest to that. I started with short practices & over time I extended the duration & so too the frequency. Now I’m tending to move towards longer meditations for some interesting insights & subtle shifts. Overtime these become quite transformational because you just don’t get up from your meditation the same person when they happen.

So, you see, there is no hard & fast way of crafting your own practice – it’s your practice, it’s your choice, how often, how long is less important than doing it!

Meditation & Mindfulness are called a practice for a reason – it takes practice to become permanent as they say! Overcoming yourself in order to practice is part of the practice. Getting out of your own way, if you like. But the best way to practice meditation & mindfulness is to just do it.

Start small, don’t set yourself up to fail. I knew meditating in the morning was a really receptive time to meditate but when the kids were little I was already getting up at silly-o’clock in the morning with them, I wasn’t going to set myself up to fail by trying to get up even earlier. Soon as that changed I was ready to too. Now getting up early to practice is part of who I am.  Try different times of the day – see what resonates best with you.

Most of all have fun with it. If meditation becomes another ‘Thing To Do’ in an endless list, yes it will give you some respite & it’s better to do it than not, but you won’t get the same longer term benefits because the energy you bring to your practice is so important.  Try a variety of different styles of meditative practices: formal & informal, different anchors, different voices because there are lots of amazing practitioner’s out there to guide you in your journey.

Take some time daily to be present, engaged & connected, aware – this is mindfulness. Overtime it will be a more obvious route for you to take as the neuron’s in your brain wire together & you will spend more time being instead of doing.  Find yourself a space where you enjoy just being & claim this can be your meditation space, your sanctuary. You don’t need specialised equipement but I have a really simple comfy meditation   cushion & I’d highly recommend them. Comfort over perfection every time!

Crafting a meditation & mindfulness practice is all about just doing it until it becomes easier to just be it.

I’d love to know your experience of starting up your own meditation & mindfulness practice – please email me at alex@alexbannard.com.

In this week’s meditation is a return to the body scan meditation – it helps us to reflect on the journey we have been on since we first dtarted . To obtain your copy email Alex at alex@alexbannard.com quoting FROSTBSCN.

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

If you would like more information on how to practice mindfulness, meditation & yoga message her at alex@alexbannard.com.

For free resources check out her Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

Alternatively please check out her website: alexbannard.com