500 Days of Meditation
Early Training
It is 18 years since I started a morning practice of Qi Gong and T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Before that, my practice was consistent but sporadic. Improved concentration and well-being came with practice, but I couldn’t set aside time every day. My first T’ai Chi teacher, Joe Weaver, would smile sagely when I told him I couldn’t practice because I had to do my homework. After 19 years, and 2 other teachers, I longed to make T’ai Chi part of my daily life, and I created the habit that I keep to this day. This year marks my 36th year studying Qi Gong and T’ai Chi Ch’uan, and for the first time my history is balanced between irregular and daily practice.
Single Steps
Over the last several years, I have experimented with various supports for daily meditation practice. As a psychologist, I frequently recommend meditation, which can take many forms. The vast majority of those instructed in some form of meditation struggle to integrate it with their lives. Since I know this struggle personally, I work to help others understand how meditation can take virtually any form, at any time, in any place. I remind my clients that many cultures have explored meditative practices, from continual prayer to martial arts. Journaling is the most secular practice I have ever recommended, and it’s health benefits are well-established. A technological aid I have found to be supportive is a smart device application called “Insight Timer”. Using this app, I recently completed 500 days of meditation practice.
Succeeding to Routine
Once a person determines a meditative practice is needed, one can begin the process of creating a meditation habit. I recommend people take up meditation with deliberation. My last T’ai Chi teacher, Gene Burnett, compared practice to finding a door in the wall. Make a plan to be reminded, whether with an alarm, a sign on the bathroom mirror, a notebook left out in the open. Many attempt to begin by purchasing new equipment or subscribing to new apps or organizations. However, I would encourage new habits be formed with materials and supports already close at hand: pens and paper already purchased, or friends who can serve as a source of commitment, if not also comradery. Be prepared to forget in the morning, and catch-up in the evening. Creating a new habit is like cupping water, and one’s thirst should be soothed as soon as possible. Like any handful, smaller sips will be more successful. Keep commitments minimal at first (e.g., 2 minutes of deep breathing per day). It is easier to build on the present than to fix the future. Finally, be forgiving. Months will pass before the habit feels normal, and in the interim, the new must become the familiar. My enduring experience has shown me the benefit of surrendering to self-consciousness.
References
Prochaska, James O., & Norcross, John C. (2001). Stages of change. Psychotherapy, 38 (4), Winter 2001, 443-448.
Tchoung Ta-Tchen (1995). The annotated theoretical and practical tai chi chuan. Lee, L., Ray, K.H., Tsen, F. (Eds.). Chinese Tai Chi Chuan Association, Budget Printing: Richmond, B.C., Canada.
Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com.
Gene Burnett: https://geneburnett.com.