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Niggles are easy to ignore but you always feel SO much better when they are gone...right?
Recently I decided to return to running - something that has been part of my life since my teens and way to explore the mountains around me.
But I had a niggle....
For several years I had experienced hip pain - the result of several old injuries to my right hip and pelvis. Most of the time it was just a little bothersome, sometimes - particularly after running it would flare up and I would have to work on it a bit more. But it was always there.
But this time I wanted it to be different...
I knew if I actually stopped IGNORING the problem and found a good SOLUTION that I would feel so much better.
And surprise....it's worked! A combination of guidance from a yoga teacher friend, an amazing book on somatics and the right training plan to get me started.
Why am I telling you this? Well - today (while running through the forest) I realised it reminded me of my meditation.
Before I started meditating I hadn't appreciated how irritated and angry I felt with the world. The niggle was always there but I hadn't done anything to tackle it. As soon as I added regular meditation practice to my life...this lifted. It was like I had opened the curtains and I felt so much lighter and brighter.
So what's the magic formula?
Here are 3 tips to help you create a mindful meditation practice.
1. Find the right resources
The BEST app for meditation is Insight Timer. There are free and paid options and millions of guided meditations, music, breathwork and yoga to listen to. Application to become a teacher on the app is rigorous (I know as I am one of them! :). It's also a great community of other meditators who can support you. Come join me for a live event soon!
2. Chat with the right people
Find someone who is not only trained in meditation practices but has explored and expanded their own meditation practice. I can't emphasise enough how spending time with teachers who genuinely love meditation gave me confidence to add more to my life.
3. Commit to the practice
As with most new habits, regularity and routine are key to achieving lasting behaviour change. Find your motivation - do you want to feel calmer, more present, less angry - how will this impact your world and the people around you? Find a teacher or coach who can provide the accountability you need to maintain momentum.
Come join me on the Insight Timer Last winter hundreds of meditators joined me for my live sessions, and I will be starting them again this year.
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I help doctors create a purposeful, flexible career outside full-time clinical medicine so they can control their time and have more balance in their lives. To find out more book a FREE 60-minute discovery call. https://calendly.com/resilienceyoga/60min
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