Mindful Living

By Erin Lee, Founder of The Mindful Yoga School & Author, The Little Book of Big Intentions.

Meditation.

We already know how beneficial it is - if not from the plethora of evidence-based studies around now, then definitely through our own experience with it.

Why is it then, that so many of us experience a block with practicing it consistently?

Meditation is an ancient practice that dates back thousands of years (likely well in train before that too). It’s used to understand the workings of our own mind, through:

• Recognising and reducing the qualities that get in the way of concentration (single-pointed awareness); and
• Cultivating skilful qualities that promote concentration and insight.

Why do we want to promote concentration and insight? 

Because it’s a pathway to liberating ourselves from all those obstacles that get in the way of a freer, lighter and happier life. 

Simple, right?

Well….if you’re like the 99.9% of meditation students I...

Change.

It has always been part of your life.

Right now there may be more of it around than usual. Yet you've navigated change before, and I know you can do it now too.

The biggest step in managing any kind of change smoothly is to NOTICE any resistance you have to it. This resistance part is what often gets missed. When it's missed, we become prone to regrettable reactivity, and unnecessary fear, anger and grief.  

We come to navigate change when we can ACCEPT it has arrived. 

This doesn't mean we have to like it. It's just that we first acknowledge that change has occurred.

It is what it is.

Any resistance to what is will feel constrictive. It might present in your body as tension or as shallow breathing, for example.

Resistance to change may also present in the form of a tense thought or judgement, or perhaps in the rising energy of an emotion like fear or anger.

Sometimes the first sign that we're in resistance to the change that's around,...