Jan 3, 2019
I recently asked people on Twitter what new habits
they are trying to adopt. 95% of the responses had meditation as
one of the habits. I've read a lot of articles on how
meditation physically changes the brain, how it's a gamechanger not
only for performance, but simply for enjoying life and how
consistency is important. But I've struggled. I'd do it
for a week and then give up (and then beat myself up for it).
I'd find my way back to it, but I couldn't make the habit
stick. I tried to figure out why I was having trouble making
meditation a regular part of my routine. When I believe in
the benefits of something, I just do it - like my plant-based diet,
like my 14 year commitment to my career as a cyclist... so why
couldn't I just DO meditation? It's because I couldn't tell
if it was working.
I recently read the book, "Meditation
for Fidgety Skeptics" by Jeff Warren and Dan Harris. By read, I
mean listened. Dan and Jeff both are narrating the book and
Jeff even leads meditations in the audiobook. Jeff was
the funny, relatable meditation expert in the book and his teaching
style really resonated with me. He wasn't all serious and
monk-y (is that a word?). I realized I by being too
skeptical, I was looking for reasons for it NOT to work. I
was even more excited to find the 10% Happier meditation app which
has different instructors and just seemed like a more natural fit
for me.
As I delved more into Jeff Warren, I learned he has also
authored other books, leads meditation retreats, and is the founder
of the Consciousness Explorers
Club that creates community around meditation. Jeff
enjoys exploring consciousness through the mind, through the body,
and even socially. His goal is to help people live more
fulfilled lives. Jeff's background before he found meditation
was in journalism, especially on the science side of things.
When Jeff went to his first meditation retreat, he said, that
meditation did not come easily for him. "I was and am a
distractible, impulsive, over-thinking, teeth-gnashing worrier. I
preferred to think about all the things
that could happen in meditation than
actually were happening."
If you are curious about meditation or are struggling to make it
a regular part of your life, I think you'll enjoy this
podcast. I asked him a lot of questions based on what I
learned in Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. We talked about how to
meditate (even if you don't want to focus on the breath), different
tools for learning about and accepting the inner workings of our
emotions and thoughts, how to find the right practice for you, and
even ways to make things like sports or even showering part of your
meditation practice.
Topics Discussed in the Podcast
- the reasons why people have trouble starting
meditation
- how to stick with it
- the 6 mental muscles
- how to create a practice that works for you
- power in equanimity
- how to know if meditation working
Listen Now
Links
Support the Show
If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your
contribution on. Patreon. The
current production of this free show is primarily supported out of
my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations
on Patreon. With
my Patreon page,
you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the
costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one
coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your
support!
Crowdfunding on
Patreon – thank you!
Shop my
products!
Leave a review or share on social media
Don’t forget to subscribe!
Apple Podcasts
Stitcher
Google Play
Spotify
Thanks for listening!