Meditation For the Long Game: A Guide to Sustainable Practice
Today I want to chat about something that's been on my mind, something that's really close to my heart when it comes to meditation and our spiritual journey. I like to call it 'Being In It For The Long Game'. Now, this isn't just for seasoned meditators, it's for everyone, no matter where you are on your spiritual path. Whether you're just dipping your toes into the world of meditation or you've been at it for years, you're bound to face your own set of challenges. But here's the thing, embracing the idea of being in it for the long game, it's not just an attitude, it's an intention. An intention that can really shape your meditation journey in a positive way, making it more sustainable and meaningful.
Now, if you're new to meditation, I've got some thoughts I'd love to share with you. It's all about how to approach meditation in a way that's sustainable, that sets you up for long-term success. And, even if you've been meditating for a while, we all know it can get tough. We sometimes hit a wall or struggle to keep that consistency going year after year. The treasures we find through our meditation practice, they're hard-won, and they usually don't come easy. So, let's chat about these two sides of the coin, and hopefully, I can give you some food for thought.
As a newbie, meditation can be a bit daunting. You're climbing this hill, and you're not quite sure what's at the top. You're tired, but you're actually closer to a plateau than you think. A place where you start to see that your meditation is making a difference. But getting there, it takes time, it takes perseverance, and it takes showing up every day.
The idea of being in it for the long game, it's a mindset that encourages you not to look for quick fixes. It's about not using meditation just to put out the small fires of our emotional upheavals. Instead, it's about looking at what's causing those fires, what's keeping our mind and emotions in a state of constant flare-ups.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama often talks about this long-term view in relation to altruism and compassion. But when you're just starting out, when you're just trying to keep your own side of the street clean, it's also useful to think of it this way.
Now, for those of you who've been at this for a while, I know it can feel like you're losing steam. You might feel like you're just spinning your wheels, like you've been practicing for ages and you're not seeing the benefits. A friend of mine, Sharon Salzberg, a well-known meditation teacher, once said something that really stuck with me. She said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that it's not that we're not changing or transforming or benefiting from our meditation practice, it's often that it's just much harder to see that. It's like looking in the mirror each day, you don't see that you're aging until five or ten years later. Because we're so close to our mind and emotions every day, it's hard to tell what's actually happening, what kind of results we're getting from our practice.
When we're in it for the long game and we've been practicing for a while, we need to remind ourselves of our intention, that this is a process. And we need to ask ourselves, where are we trying to get anyways? It's a tough question, and it really depends on what we believe, how we relate to life and death.
What does consistent, regular effort look like for you? What's sustainable for you right now? For me, that's changed over time. When I was a monk, I had a lot more time for formal practice. Now, being back in the world, having a daughter and a family, it's a bit more challenging. So, I try to fit in practice in different ways. For me, part of that long game is remembering to be aware throughout the day, remembering to practice, and trying to integrate it more throughout the day. That's been one of my long game techniques, and it's been incredibly beneficial.
I'd love to hear how you relate to this idea of being in it for the long game. What tools do you use? How do you keep yourself inspired and active in your practice? And if you're new to meditation, don't hesitate to ask some questions. Take these ideas, mull them over, and let me know how they resonate with you.
