Practising mindfulness is a personal choice which requires commitment and discipline. Therefore it would be prudent to first discover your WHY for being on a mindfulness journey while recognizing that your WHY is not stagnant and may shift or evolve over time. With that clarity, I invite you to consider these 5 tips when starting your mindfulness journey.
Be curious and open. Find out more about the various GUIDED sitting meditation (breath) practices available (virtually or in-person) from the internet or from your colleagues, friends and loved ones. Get a sense of what you may experience, including the challenges, and be open to taking it on by remembering your WHY.
Be gentle with yourself. Start with a GROUP guided sitting meditation (breath) at least once a week. By sitting with a group (be it virtually or in-person), you are able to share your experiences and learn from those around you. You may discover that what you are experiencing is natural and receive support to stay on your journey.
Keep it simple. Apart from sitting with the group, find the time and space that works for you so that it can be part of your daily routine. Start with a 15 minute guided meditation and over time, increase your sitting in intervals of 3-5 minutes
Have fun with this. Reward yourself each time you follow the routine.
Be intentional. Remember your WHY each time you fall and feel like giving up, then get back on that bicycle.
As you get a better sense of the benefit for you, you can then start expanding mindful practices into other aspects of your daily routine, including in your professional space. To do this, I would strongly recommend being part of a mindfulness program such as Mindfulness-Based Strategic Awareness Training ("MBSAT").