Personal Sitting Meditation

I made a promise to myself to meditate daily through the month of March. (I actually started on February 28th to get a bit of a head start.) Here’s how I’m approaching this personal promise.

First of all, I’m using an app called myNoise on my phone. It features white noise and background sounds; I find that it helps me to focus while I take the time for my sitting practice. I put on some headphones, set the app timer to the appropriate minutes I’d like to meditate, then begin. To start, I’m meditating for about 12 minutes each day. I’ve carved out some time during my morning routine to settle into my practice. Here’s what I’m noticing so far.

I knew this would happen, but I’ve noticed so much mind chatter as I’m trying to sit in stillness listening to my Tibetan Choir background sounds. Random thoughts about my daily schedule, what I did yesterday, and even how I’m going to write about my meditation experience. This is quite normal. I have to remember that it will take some time and practice before my spinning head will finally settle more quickly into this mindfulness routine.

Having the white noise (and my steady breathing) helps to ground me and redirect me to the present moment. Each time my mind wanders, I simply notice and acknowledge the random thought, take a deep breath, then return to the meditative moment. As I continue this daily, I am sure the random thoughts will be less frequent and I’ll be able to sit in more quiet emptiness. Plus, I’ll be able to add a few more minutes to the meditative experience.

Do any of you have a meditation practice? What has been your experience with daily meditation? Are you new to meditation? Would you like to join me on this month-long journey? Send me a note for any tips, thoughts, or questions.