The New Year

by | Jan 8, 2023

New year’s resolutions are usually abandoned by February. Gym owners and Weight Watchers meetings know this. There is another way to think about a new beginning. As we are taught the basics of meditation practice, whenever we find ourselves drifting off during a sit, that moment of recognition is a moment of being awake. Then we’re encouraged to ‘begin again’. Sometimes we bring ourselves back to the breath or the present moment many, many times in a 30 minute sit.

And that’s ok. Forgiving ourselves for being distracted or anxious or impatient is a powerful practice in itself. We might even adopt an attitude of friendliness toward our seeming inability to concentrate. And then one day, we find ourselves releasing thoughts more easily and returning to the breath as an anchor.

This takes practice. Regular meditation practice brings innumerable benefits. Despite this, we may find ourselves skipping meditation or falling out of a daily practice. Then the negative self talk starts that we’re not ‘good’ meditators or it wasn’t working anyway.

It also takes practice to be kind to ourselves! Just as we lose the thread while sitting, we can always begin again. We can be generous to ourselves. We can start where we are instead of wishing we were perfect. If we can lighten up, we just might be happier.