5 Steps to Strengthen your Meditation Practice
When you’re masterful with the basics, you are much more likely to be masterful with advanced teachings and techniques. Likewise, if you are not masterful with the basics, you’re much less likely to be masterful with advanced teachings and techniques. Your practice of meditation is no exception.
It all comes down to the foundation. Like the saying, “A foolish man builds his house on sand,” if the foundation of anything you do is unsteady, unsure, or unreliable, good luck building anything on top of it of gravity or anything that you wish to last. So time and energy must first be invested in building your foundation strong and building it deep. Not just setting it and forgetting it, but consistently paying attention to your foundation, addressing any cracks or weaknesses in it patiently and proactively, and making your foundation the most important part of your process of creating, progressing, and expressing your purpose and essence out into the world. For when your foundation is sound, the rest will follow.
A great example comes from when I was a personal trainer and Pilates instructor in Texas. A majority of my clients and students were either rehabbing from injury or returning to activity after long periods of inactivity, and especially for them I focused on functional training and the basics. At the outset, it was natural for it to be a struggle. It wasn’t uncommon for them to resent me walking them through the basics like it was their first time or get frustrated when we would spend an entire session doing “beginner” exercises and stretches. And I get it, no one likes to be injured, unwell, or feel like they’re being underestimated.
But for all of them to varying degrees, what got them there was a neglect of their foundation.
Neglecting proper form and sound body mechanics, lacking self-awareness to know when to push on and when to pull back, sacrificing warming up and/or cooling down appropriately, and ignoring the proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, and general self-care to support their fitness goals long term.
And the best way for me to serve them was to bring them back to the basics and put a spotlight on their foundation and support them with the opportunity to gain the awareness, knowledge, and confidence that would not only advance their fitness level and growth sustainably in the gym or on the field, but also throughout all other aspects of their life.
And so it is with the simple suggestions I offer you today to strengthen and improve your meditation practice. From my own experience in my own practice over the years, these steps have served me well and so now I pay them forward to you. I don’t expect to blow your mind with how revolutionary or innovative the suggestions may appear. But that doesn’t mean that the fruits of applying them to your practice and getting back to the basics won’t have the potential to change everything for the better. For each suggestion and step addresses strengthening and expanding your foundation of meditating. And through diligently applying one, two, three, or all of them, you will facilitate yourself going deeper, receiving greater personal benefits throughout all aspects of your life, and becoming more masterful and adept with your meditation practice.
Five Steps to Strengthening your Meditation Foundation
Set your Space
Setting the tone for your meditative practice through correctly setting your space is of great importance and can often be overlooked. And when I refer to “space,” I mean both your external, outer space as well as your internal, inner space. Setting the space in both so they align and can resonate to produce harmony and coherence for your practice.
1) Setting your outer space
First of all, what is the condition of your space? It it neat and orderly or is it disorganized and cluttered? Does it feel conducive to relaxing and slowing down or are there a lot of distractions that could potentially draw you away from your practice? These are all important questions to address when it comes to the physical space where you intend to practice. For some of us, we’re able to dedicate a particular space, or even an entire room, for our meditation and spiritual practices. But even if you don’t do that, you can still set yourself up for success in exploring your spirituality through meditation by attending mindfully to your physical environment.
Ideas that can be helpful in setting your outer space:
Remove clutter and mess. It doesn’t have to be pristine, but it also shouldn’t be chaotic. Create a clear, open, orderly space for you to meditate and relax within.
Leave your phone in another room. This can apply to other devices as well, but the phone is the easiest example. Either turn it off completely or set it to silent or do not disturb and don’t bring it with you into your practice. Unplug yourself from the demands and access of the world…just for a little bit.
Smudge with herbs, palo santo, holy water, and/or incense. Before I practice, I will often do a ritual of saying a protective prayer while burning white sage and spraying holy water before lighting a stick of Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa incense. Smudging like this clears my mind and facilitates leaving the outside world outside so I can more freely and fully step into my inner world.
Create sacred space through gridding, doing rituals, and lighting candles to set a temple. Within the lineage of King Salomon are several rituals and metaphysical techniques for making space holy and bringing in more light. These practices energetically seal your physical space to shut out interference and empower you to tune in more clearly to guidance from higher Spiritual realms and their inhabitants. To learn more, reach out and ask me about Sacred Geometry and Empower Thyself Classes.
2) Setting your inner space
When it comes to this, it’s about anchoring your intention to meditate. And not just doing it to do it, but doing it clearly and firmly and using your Will to set your mind in motion. For when we intend to meditate, while we may be motivated by goals of relieving stress, sleeping better, greater emotional stability, less anxiety, etc., to meditate is to journey and discover what’s within. This is that sometimes not so fun part of revealing the cracks and weaknesses in your foundation, and bringing light to where it’s most needed. Not from a place of judgment or shame, but rather from a place of increasing self-awareness of your opportunities to heal and gain greater inner strength and peace. Which requires courage, commitment, and perseverance - perhaps more than you expect! So setting the tone for your meditation practice by carrying that awareness with you of what it means to not only look within, like a tourist might, but to buy in and explore as the prime creator, designer, and map-maker of your own world… it can be a game-changer.
For me, I frequently set my inner space and affirm my intention to meditate by spending a few minutes before I dive into my practice simply following my own breath and bringing my energy inwards. Enjoying a few minutes of passive meditation like this is like my “pre-meditation” warm-up and helps me smooth out any static in my mind so I can ease myself into my practice with more efficiency and readiness. This practice has been helpful for me - perhaps it may be helpful to you, too.
Hydrate and Nourish Mindfully
What you consume, and what you choose not to consume, can play a key role in your preparedness to meditate. When you meditate you are using your physical body as the vessel, or receptacle, to receive spiritual inspiration and light so it can flow through you. You are using your own mind to enter into an altered state of consciousness so you gain access to your Higher Mind and an eagle’s eye view of your life and your purpose. So taking that into consideration, consuming to promote clarity - whether it be beverages, food, substances, social media - can have a significant impact on the quality, depth, and reliability of your experience when you meditate.
3) Hydrate well
When we are well hydrated, all systems within our bodies can operate more optimally. We are more alert and yet also more at ease, our minds function more smoothly, we are less likely to be distracted or get stuck in repetitive thought patterns, and we can more easily tap into the flow of modulating our own brain wave patterns and finding the sweet spot of going deep but still remaining aware. Be aware that hydrating well also means avoiding or moderating consuming things that can dehydrate us, like caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and sodium. So when you are preparing to meditate, be mindful to focus on your hydration beforehand and throughout your day to set yourself up for success.
4) Keep it light if you eat before meditation
When we consume heavier foods that require a lot of energy to digest, the body directs a majority of its resources to your gut. The same can be true for when we consume food - even a small amount - quickly. And all that energy directed to your digestive system grounds you and sends your energy downwards in a way that can hinder “taking off” and reaching deeper brain wave patterns. So before meditating, I encourage you to keep it light. I, personally, prefer to meditate on an empty stomach. But if you do consume anything, perhaps keeping it to just fluids, small amounts of fruits or vegetables, or a very simple snack. And in reserving that energy and vitality to devote to your meditation practice, you can set the tone for receiving more spiritual benefits from your meditation practice to enhance multiple aspects of your physical life.
Consistency & Discipline is Key
In my experience, diligently applying this final suggestion can serve you to grow leaps and bounds spiritually and reap amazing rewards from your meditation practice. That being said, don’t be surprised if you experience a good deal of resistance, no matter how good your intentions are, to creating more consistency and discipline in your practice. It is a true challenge to meditate consistently and enforce the boundaries around your meditative practice to keep it from getting pushed down your list of priorities. But it is beyond worth it if you are truly seeking that next level.
5) Schedule your Meditation Time
And by scheduling your meditation practice, I don’t mean just in your head. I mean writing it down in your planner, on your calendar, setting a reminder on your phone, putting sticky notes on your bathroom mirror…however you keep your daily activities organized. And a key here is noting the time you’ll start and the time you’ll be done to precisely dedicate time to meditate. Too many meditation practices are sabotaged by the idea that “I’ll meditate when I have extra time” or “I’ll meditate when I’m in the mood.” I’ve had those ideas and so have my students, and I have yet to meet anyone who’s maintained a solid and consistent meditation practice just playing it by ear.
For any activity or skill is strengthened through consistently practicing that activity and skill with discipline. This is especially true when that skill or activity is new to you. Think about learning a new sport, learning to drive, or speaking a new language - it starts out awkward, clumsy, and it can be easy to get in our heads because it’s so new. But given consistency and investing time and energy into practicing, we gradually become more competent, confident, and graceful. Simply put, we get out what we put in. And all that applies to strengthening the foundation of your meditation practice.
So whether you want to meditate every day, a few days a week, or once a week, write it into your schedule. Be specific with the time you’re gifting to yourself to practice meditation, whether it be 5 minutes, 60 minutes, or 2 hours. And set that boundary firmly for yourself and for others. Guard it fiercely! And treat it as the priority that it is for your overall wellbeing and holistic health.
For those who join me online every Friday from 6:30-8pm EST for Max Meditation System, not only can it be helpful to have an instructor hold the space and guide you, but meditating in community at the same time every week adds a package deal of consistency and accountability to your practice. So if you’re ready to start applying more consistency and discipline to your practice, joining an ongoing guided meditation practice like my weekly Max Meditation System can be an excellent way to not only schedule in your meditation time but also receive the support of like-minded individuals from all over the country who, like you, are seeking to expand and strengthen the foundation of their meditation practice.
I hope that these suggestions are helpful to you in building a strong and stable foundation for your meditation practice. For some of them at first glance, you might think, “Yeah, yeah, yeah…I already do that.” But then step back and ask yourself, “Do I really do that?” Are you taking that step that you believe you’ve mastered for granted or is it truly rock solid? Avoid making assumptions and you’ll bring more light to your blind spots. And then there may be steps that play to your strengths and there may be other steps that highlight a weakness or create a resistance within you, like an internal dialogue saying, “I hate doing stuff like that.” I would encourage you to start with the latter steps and lean into that discomfort. For all that discomfort is pointing out is the greatest opportunity for you to grow and bring greater balance to your meditation foundation. So seize the opportunity!
Finally, all of these steps come from what has worked in my own experience as both a meditation student and instructor, but as always, please don’t just take my word for it. You, as a unique individual, will have your own unique experience, and it may be similar to mine and it may be completely different than mine. So be open, be curious, and give each step a fair shake to discover for yourself how they impact your meditation practice. Will these 5 steps work for you and serve you to strengthen and expand your meditation foundation?
Ye shall know by the fruits.
