That’s right…..I have been meditating at least once a day for the past 24 days and I’m happy to report that I am still going strong!
It’s definitely been a long journey to get to this point but after many, many years of trying to incorporate meditation into my daily life, this is the first time I have stuck with it for this long.
What’s my secret to success? Well, it was easy……I finally gave in and tried Insight Timer. 😉
Now to be clear, I’ve known about Insight Timer and other online meditation apps for some time now, but I have always resisted the idea of relying on my phone (or any other device) to meditate. It’s not that I thought there was anything wrong with this form of meditation, I think I just wanted to believe that I could do it on my own.
But the reality is I wasn’t doing it on my own and I wasn’t practicing what I preach so when a friend mentioned Insight Timer, I decided to give it a try. I’ve always been a huge believer in “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” and that’s exactly what happened when I listened to my first meditation by Sarah Blondin. I knew instantly that I had found my teacher.
As I listened to her words, I felt like she was shining a light into my soul, illuminating all those dark places I have been afraid to look at. Through her guided meditations, I began to feel calmer and more grounded. I realized it was no longer an option for me NOT to meditate every day.
Thankfully, getting started with Insight Timer is incredibly easy. Basically, all you have to do is download the app! So that’s exactly what I did and yes, I am now using my phone to meditate! 🙂
Once I downloaded the app, I decided to go with the free version which has more than enough teachers and meditations to choose from. You can also pay for a yearly subscription which is $59.99 and that gives you access to a ton of stuff including lectures, classes and, of course, lots of meditations.
What I love about Insight Timer is that it keeps track of the number of days in a row you have meditated. I quickly realized this was a huge motivator for me. Watching the days add up reminded me of those little gold stars I would get from my grammar school teacher. As I checked off another day, I felt like I was getting a “gold star.”
Learning to incorporate a new habit into your life can take time. Some habits are easier to form than others and some people have an easier time incorporating a new behavior. There’s never a “one size fits all” just as there is no right or wrong timeline. The only timeline that matters is the one that works best for you!
My initial goal when I started was 21 days. That seemed challenging but also very doable. Now that I’m at day 24, my new goal is 60 days. Go big or go home, right?
My hope in sharing this with you is that perhaps it will encourage you to take a look at your own life. Is there something that you have thought about doing but, like me, it just wasn’t happening? Is it time to explore what you might be missing in your life? Is it time to take that first step, whatever that may be?
If the answer is yes, I say go for it. Nothing is impossible!
