Day 46: Meditate

Before my baby, I had committed to a year of practice- 365 of hitting the cushion and meditating. I made it 264 of those days. On the 265th day, my daughter was born. Not shockingly, that commitment felt less pressing amidst the hustle of trying to figure out how to keep my newborn alive. Indeed, up until this point, I put my formal practice on hold, trading it in for mindful moments with my babe.

But at some point I knew I would want to, need to, return to my practice. Mindful Schools defines mindfulness as "a state, a trait, and a practice." And in order to cultivate more frequent states of mindfulness, or even alter our traits to become more mindful people, we must practice being mindful. We do this through meditation, when we intentionally direct our attention to a particular focus, or open state, with a quality of equanimity and compassion.

It can be hard to come back to a habit that you have abandoned, so I was concerned about what it would feel like to engage in a formal practice period, set my timer, and begin. But for me, the return couldn't have been sweeter. A calm instantly flooded my body and I sunk deeply into a mindful state, even as thoughts came and went.

For you seasoned practitioners, or those brand new to the practice, I invite you to reintroduce, or introduce, a formal practice of meditation. It could be as short as one minute when you set a timer and commit that time to awareness.

If you are new, find an anchor for your attention, whether that be your breath, listening for sound, or even a visual anchor like a candle. Then, without needing to control anything, set the intention to stay present to that anchor. When you notice the mind wander, bring the attention back, again, and again, and again. Part of the mindful attention is that it is kind, so be sure not to critique yourself when you suddenly find yourself wondering if you should change over to cloth diapers from disposables. Simply notice these thoughts and release them. Notice and release. This is the practice of mindfulness that creates more mindful states throughout the day.