Meditation isn’t always easy, even for people who find it extremely helpful.
 
Currently I meditate every day, usually just 10 minutes in the morning before getting started with the day.
 
You would think that it was easy after doing it on and off for years. Sometimes it’s not, I have found it worth persevering though.
 
My mind is usually busy. It rarely has complete emptiness without making a conscious effort.
 
To help anyone who finds meditation difficult here is the process I go through. It has made it easier for me.
 
When I start my meditation, I go to a safe space I create in my mind. The picture I have is of a roundhouse from ancient times. It is made from wood and other local materials and topped with thatching. There are sometimes trusted companions in the roundhouse.
 
The roundhouse stands in a clearing in the woods with a small stream running past it.
 
I usually wear my noise-cancelling headphones and play a soundscape of the stream or of a fire burning on the hearthstone. My choice depends on the weather and my mood. I listen to the stream when I visualise sitting outside the roundhouse bathed in nature. I listen to the fire if I need the warmth and added security of being inside.
 
I start by spending a little time checking into my imagined surroundings. This extra detail helps me be present in my safe space.
 
👀 What do I see?
👃 What do I smell?
👂 What do I hear?
 
I internally vocalise a few personal affirmations as I start to slow my breath down.
 
After I have fully arrived at my safe and calm space, I can let thoughts escape from my mind without dwelling on them. The thoughts are OK, they can be there. I don’t have to devote time to them right now. They can slide past without disturbing me.
 
I focus on my breath for a while.
 
I end the meditation by asking myself, or a trusted companion in the roundhouse, what I need to know for today.
 
Sometimes thoughts come that I wasn’t expecting. Sometimes nothing takes shape.
 
I then open my eyes and come back to the physical world.
 
Giving myself 10 minutes each day before I leap into action is good for my soul. It reminds me of who I am. It helps me serve my family and my clients as my authentic, congruent self.
 
I take care of my mind before I let it focus on helping others. It is one of the ways I exercise self-care.
 
Have you got a meditation practice? What tricks work for you when you find it difficult to reach your calm meditation space?