Meditating regularly offers a wide range of benefits: it makes you happier, improves your health, protects your brain from aging, boosts intelligence, and helps reduce pain, stress, and depression. It also enhances relationships, increases effectiveness, and provides a sense of meaning and purpose.
You might think, “That sounds great, but I don’t have time to meditate,” or perhaps you’ve tried meditation before but struggled to maintain a consistent practice. I’ve been there myself—despite knowing both the scientific and personal benefits of meditation, I found it challenging to meditate daily. I often felt calmer and happier when I meditated, and experienced tranquility and bliss after retreats, but couldn’t sustain a daily habit. I’d meditate regularly for a while, then miss a day, a few days, or even a week, feeling like a failure when I compared myself to those who meditated daily.
Now, I meditate almost every day. Occasionally, I might miss a day, but I no longer feel shame when that happens; I simply return to my routine the next day. I’m going to share the lessons I’ve learned through an online course called Get Your Sit Together, starting January 1—perfect timing for a new habit.
The goal of this course is to help you become a consistent daily meditator. Ideally, you’ll meditate every day during the 28-day course. If you miss a day or two, that’s okay; it’s part of learning what obstacles you face in forming this habit. By the end of the course, you should be meditating daily, and it’s okay if it takes some time to establish this routine.
Here’s what Get Your Sit Together will teach you:
When I started attending meditation classes, sessions were usually 20 to 30 minutes long, sometimes even 40 or 50 minutes. This led me to believe that only long meditations were “real” and worth doing. This mindset made it difficult to fit meditation into my day, so I often skipped it altogether. The course will include guided meditations as short as one to five minutes, making it easier to integrate meditation into your daily schedule. Even short sessions can be beneficial and manageable.
For a long time, I saw myself as someone who couldn’t meditate daily, assuming it was due to a lack of willpower. In reality, it was a misconception about myself. The course will help you change your self-perception so that meditating daily becomes a natural part of who you are.
Accountability is crucial in developing a new habit. Simple strategies like marking a calendar daily or sharing your progress with others can create a sense of accountability. Our online community offers support and encouragement, making it a judgement-free zone where you can share your struggles and successes without shame.
It’s easy to forget about meditation until it’s late at night, so having a plan is essential. Identify opportunities during your day to meditate, whether it’s busy or open and spacious, to ensure you make time for it.
We often believe our thoughts unquestioningly, such as thinking we’re too busy or tired to meditate. The course will teach you to recognize these thoughts as resistance and engage in a dialog with them, making it easier to stick to your practice by starting with shorter sessions if needed.
One common mistake is failing to reward ourselves for meditating, which can discourage us from maintaining the habit. Celebrating your efforts, no matter how small, is crucial. The course will encourage you to feel good about meditating, reinforcing the habit through positive reinforcement.
Get Your Sit Together will not only help you meditate daily but also provide principles from modern psychology and Buddhist tradition that can apply to developing any good habit. By following daily emails, listening to guided meditations, and participating in the online community, you’ll experience the physical, psychological, and social benefits of regular meditation, ultimately becoming a happier person.
So why not join me? Don’t wait until January 1! Head over to our Eventbrite page, enroll in Get Your Sit Together, and start your journey towards a transformative habit.