Arriving Home :: Starting Where You Are

Starting Where You Are 

We all approach starting a new project, idea, endeavor or habit differently. We each have our own unique process, resistance, confidence and understanding of how to begin. Are you the type of person who needs to have an exact plan before you start something new, or are plans the obstacle that would keep you from diving right in? Do you need to understand the roadmap to where you are going or is the roadmap nothing but an afterthought?

One common roadblock often comes about at the start of a meditation practice. After expressing interest the practice, people sometimes hesitate, feeling too "unready" or "unqualified" to even begin. They think they are not mindful enough to meditate. They think they are not going to do it correctly, "so why even start?". They have made the pre-judgment that they are not "the type" for meditation because they can't sit still, don't have enough time, etc.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, then I am even more excited to share my steps for starting where you are. May these steps change your current meditation story, turning this moment into nothing but an opportunity for you to simply begin.

How To Start Where You Are

1. Realize that wherever you are starting from is absolutely perfect. You do not need to change anything about this present moment. While this may seem like a simple or even obvious first step, being completely accepting and at peace with where you are starting from is highly important. If you approach your beginning point with acceptance instead of judgment and openness instead of pre-opinions, you will have a much better chance of staying consistent.
2. Let go of any assumptions you have made. If you assume that you will not have time to meditate, or that it will be hard to fit meditation into your day-to-day, then this assumption will be more likely to hold true. If you assume that you won't be able to sit still, or that your thoughts will run the show during your practice, then you are setting yourself up for more uncertainty. Whether it is your very first time meditating, or you are approaching your practice to begin on a another new day, let go of your stories, let go of the ideas of how you think your experience will go, and release all assumptions, so you can meet your practice exactly as it is: unfiltered in that present moment. 
3. Bring beginner's mind. I like to remind those who are just starting their practice to have a fresh mind (AKA beginner's mind) when it comes to meditation. What that means is you are not projecting who you are onto the present moment, you are simply allowing the present moment to be as it is. The fresher your mind, the more open you will be to your own unique process in beginning and sustaining a meditation practice. 

Know that when you are in the action of simply starting wherever you are, then there will be a sense of relief for you. You will feel more at ease and more able to be present in the action of beginning, practicing and showing up. 

May you start exactly where you are, regardless of what it looks like or what you think it should be like.

With Love, Amanda