Dear Friend,
Recently several people have asked how I maintain a meditation practice (and a yoga practice and a writing practice). They were trying to learn my “secret” so they could add these useful practices into their own lives.
My secret is pretty simple.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good – Voltaire
Nothing is perfect. I no longer let myself get caught up in the limiting belief that a practice has to be or look a certain way for it to “count” because if I did, nothing would ever be good enough.
Easier said than done and definitely a daily practice, but seriously life changing.
For example, for my meditation practice to happen each day I have to do it before I do anything else. Sometimes I meditate before I get out of bed to pee. Sorry for the TMI, but I’m being real here. If I really have to go, I will and then get right back in bed to start.
Is now a good time to tell you that my meditation practice takes place in my bed, under the covers and on most days laying down?
I know it’s not how meditation is “supposed” to work, but it works for me.
My yoga practice follows the same principle of not letting the perfect get in the way of the good.
In an ideal world I’d devote 90 minutes on my mat each and every day. In reality my phone reminds me every day to “DO YOGA” and my physical practice is sometimes a single restorative pose (on my bed) before I teach my class. Sometimes it is rolling out two mats -one for me and one for my daughter- and moving the dining room table out of the way so we can play. We pull out all the props, turn up some “yoga music” {usually the Freedom 90 or Queen station on Pandora) and see what happens.
Again, not how it is “supposed” to work, but it works for me.
The same for my writing practice. Ideally I would spend the first 2 or 3 hours a day first thing (post meditation, of course) writing my most perfect prose. The reality is that I write in fits and spurts daily. I brain storm and keep my ideas in Google docs and write skeleton outlines and fill in the details in my head while I push my daughter on the swing at the park. Every afternoon I spend some time writing something.
Again, not how it’s “supposed” to look, but it works for me.
Have you ever been stopped from doing something you wanted to because the perfect got in the way of the good enough?
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xo
PS – If you find this helpful or know someone who would, please be sure to pass it on. Sharing is caring!
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Other posts you might like:
Tips for Starting and Maintaining A Daily Meditation Practice
Meditation Mantra or How To Stay In The Moment Without Losing Your Marbles
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