Creating a Meditation Habit
The most important rule with this is: even when you miss a day or two or eight, don’t stop. It is totally normal to start and stop, think of it as an experiment – why did you have a hard time meditating? Was it the time of day, your schedule, the place? Or was it your mind racing and not shutting up? Or is it your expectations that you should be a Buddhist monk by now?

Whatever it happens to be, acknowledge it, and try something else – you may have to do a few things and change it up in order to make it work. Success really does come from experience, and in order to have experience you have to put in the time, and keep trying.
Dedicating Time
This is one of the easiest blocks we can put in our own way, TIME, it’s elusive and we never seem to have enough of it. In theory we can find 15 minutes in our day somewhere to sit and meditate for right? It’s actually more about dedicating time then finding it. When you dedicate time to meditation it helps to create focus and helps to quiet all the lists of things you should be doing. Find a time that works for you – if you have 15 minutes in the car before you leave work, before you pick up the kids and you can sit in your car uninterrupted – do it then. If you are a morning person and the idea of waking up a bit early so you can meditate sounds doable then do that, if you hate mornings but are super content to find time in the evening or before bed do it then, if you still are unsure when you can fit it into your day make meditation do double duty with something else – a walk/run, doing the dishes, having a shower.
The time(s) of day that would work best for me are: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The activities that could double with meditation are:
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The best place(s) to meditate for me is: _____________________________________________________
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Using a Mantra
Mantra’s are amazing as a mind focusing tool. It is completely normal for the mind to wander *your mind wandering doesn’t mean you aren’t doing it right or getting it, it actually means that you are a normal human being* Mantras are a repetitive saying that helps to both focus the mind and create what we want in life, they are very powerful and the more intention we have behind them the better. They can be in English – I am ____________ (loving, loved, amazing, healthy, sober, powerful, whole, etc.)
Or they can be in Sanskrit (when we are saying them in another language we have to use more brain focus and energy to remember them and say them) some wonderful ones are:
Om Mani Padme Hum – it means the jewel in the lotus, the deeper meaning is trusting the jewel (wisdom) can come out of the mud (challenge, hardship, darkness) and into the light.
So Hum – translated to I am, it is often used with the breath: inhale “so” exhale “hum” the deeper meaning is I am connected to everything and everyone, and I am connected to myself.

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