Meditation for Beginners Over 50

One of the key challenges of starting a meditation practice is just sitting down to do it. 

I receiving training in transcendental meditation™ the summer before I began college. I enjoyed it but I found it challenging to maintain a the recommended twice daily practice during my college years. I could never seem to steal away daily to do the practice. Too much was usually going on campus and I didn't want to appear "weird" by telling people I had to return to the dorm room to do TM. 

Thus, my afternoon meditation sessions were intermittent. 

And you may argue that it's difficult to carve out a few minutes even once daily to go apart and sit in silence.

However, if you make a commitment to meditate daily, even for just a few minutes, you will likely discover that soon the additional awareness and insights you receive during will more than offset the time you invested iin it.

The best way to develop a meditation habit is to schedule a time to meditate when you are least likely to be interrupted. 

For me it's mornings. 

I usually meditate when I first wake up before getting out of bed, following the advice of intuition expert and bestselling author Sonia Choquette. At a weekend workshop of hers that I attended in November 2014, Sonia said that if you wanted to create a meditation habit, meditate before getting out of bed in the morning. This practice has worked for me.

Once you commit to a time to meditate, what can you expect from your practice?

If you have never meditated and are an intense, active person who feels compelled to be on the move constantly, you will likely feel restless and nervous the first few times you meditate.  Your mind may jump to a thousand places—and succumb to the antics of the proverbial “monkey mind” and feel frustrated and like a failure because you cannot seem to "quiet" your mind.

Moreover, sometimes it can seem scary, even terrifying to sit in total silence, especially these days when we are accustomed to constant digital distractions and noise.

Perhaps you dislike being "alone."

Well to paraphrase what one long-distance runner said years ago when asked about his ability to go on super long, solitary runs, “Well, if you can't stand spending 10-15 minutes alone with yourself, how can you expect other people to spend time with you?" 

The bottom line is, however, that meditation is the simple practice of quieting your mind and the more often you sit in the quiet, the easier and more satisfying it becomes.

Another good way to maintain a regular meditation habit is to consider the time spent meditating as your daily "personal time off"— a respite from cares, troubles, concerns and a time to be quiet and listen to your highest inner wisdom.

Once you get beyond the concerns of your to-do lists or the conversations that pop up in your head about he or she said about your “ex” or the difficult neighbor or boss, you will soon relish the "sounds of silence," relaxation, and insights you gain from meditation.  And, your body, mind, and spirit will love you for it.

Look for a simple meditation practice in next week's post.