Most people begin meditation with great intentions but can't sustain a meditation practice. It really depends on the person, the degree to which he/she likes the type of meditation, and the amount of enthusiasm. It also helps to understand what to do when things come up as people meditate, since people may be discouraged or distracted by a variety of things. What is often useful is to practice in a class setting with meditation that seems most suited, and yet, people may get along well at home with the appropriate support.
When people want a meditation practice they could first determine the type of meditation they’d like to do. Some people visualize chanting, sitting in a prescribed position and/or thinking on specific ideas. Others want a more freeform environment, with permissiveness to follow the mind while taking slow breaths. A little research can help people find the type of meditation they want to do, and people will naturally be more enthusiastic to participate in something they find very interesting.
Additional searching determines what types of classes are available. When starting a meditation practice, it usually is easiest if people have formal teaching. This is especially true when a style is very rigid in the way breath or body are held. Freeform classes may not require as much. Even with relaxed methods, formal learning may be useful when practice begins at home.
If there are no available classes or groups to join, the next best bet are books or even tapes/CDs/podcasts that guide people through a specific type of meditation. Again, these are useful especially in early stages for getting started. They can inspire people to go deeper or more fully relax.
In any meditative practice, people tend to get sidetracked eventually by petty distractions, important thoughts, physical discomfort, or other things. Classes and books and tapes usually address this because it is not uncommon. Most people should not quit when this has become an issue and should instead learn some strategies for getting back on track; there are many of them. If people haven’t attended any classes, at least one or two classes could make sense at this point to address these issues and find ways of overcoming them.
Beginning a meditation practice tends to be easy, but keeping it up is more difficult. As people plan their practice, they do have to give themselves time each day. This is especially true for people at home because they may be more likely to give up after a while. Visualizing meditation practice time as a sacred gift to the self can prove helpful, and folks may benefit by designating one specific time each day as meditation time.
Even when people don’t feel like practicing one day, they should go ahead. In almost all meditative forms, it’s expected people will come to meditation with different and varying feelings each time. Each of these feelings is welcome and then might be released to fulfill the goal of that special time.
