1. Question: What is the difference between Mindfulness & Meditation?

Answer: Mindfulness is being aware and attentive to what thoughts, feelings and emotions are running in your system during your daily life, for example: You have repetitive negative thoughts about a situation; with Mindfulness, you would become aware of this thought pattern and see it for what it is, a thought pattern that doesn’t serve you. You then are able to consciously make a decision to break this repetitive thought process, and thus not only relieving yourself of these burdensome thoughts, but also releasing all the energy that was being wasted holding this structure together.

Meditation is a practice that is conducted usually once or twice a day, it is the act of deeply resting in yourself. There are many different forms of Meditation, e.g: mantra, breathing, silent, guided etc.. However they are all performed at an allotted time, and then you carry on with your day. The benefits of your Meditation practice permeate throughout your daily life. In truth, Meditation is synonymous with our inner being and is ever present, however we may use “Meditation Techniques” in order to re-establish our attention back into our natural meditative state.

2. Question: How can I establish a daily practice? I have tried, but after a week or two I just seem to lapse back into not practicing.

Answer: We need to establish why we are wanting to invest our time in a Meditation practice. Once we have a reason; lets say anxiety is a constant companion, it’s impacting my life in a negative way, and I’d like to find a solution. Then it needs to be understood that Meditation is an ongoing process, like going to the gym, we don’t notice much difference after a day or two (Although with Meditation, this isn’t strictly true!) however, after a short time of persistent practice we may start to see a significant difference. Once this becomes a part of your daily routine, you’ll look forward to your Meditation and wonder how you ever lived without it. It will no longer feel like a chore, it will feel like a treasure, and you won’t want to miss it!

3. Question: Each time I practice it’s different, is this ok?

Answer: Yes, this is absolutely fine. Very rarely, if ever, are any two Meditations exactly the same. Sometimes your mind is quiet, sometimes it’s busy, sometimes you have incredible insight, sometimes irritation, and sometimes the deepest peace.. It’s all fine, and it’s all part of your Meditation practice. The key is to accept whatever experience you are having, and to follow the guideline of whatever Meditation you are practicing at that time.

4. Question: I find Meditating boring. What can I do to stop feeling bored?

Answer: Believe it or not, Meditation is actually a cure for boredom. We are constantly stimulated, especially in this day and age where we have a pocket computer, as well as a multitude of screens offering us access to all the latest entertainment. To sit quietly seems to be what all this stimuli is aiding us in avoiding. Meditation is giving us a chance to come back to our centres, it is a sacred time, and if boredom arises, rather than resisting and compounding the issue, you can become curious as to what boredom really is.. When you become interested in what boredom is, you have accepted it, and what you may find is that the quality of the feeling changes quite drastically, and you are experiencing something new, something beautiful. It seems like a strange thing to say, but you’ll never look at boredom in the same way..

5. Question: I can’t focus on my breath or mantra without getting distracted. I then start to beat myself up. How can I relax more in my practice?

Answer: The best way to relax is to simply understand that getting distracted is all part of the process, and it happens to us all. All you need to do is; once you realise you have drifted off into distraction, gently move back to your practice. This may happen constantly, and this is not a problem, just relax, know that you’re doing it right and continue. No need to beat yourself up, and if you notice that you are, just move gently back to your practice, no need to beat yourself up about beating yourself up..  You will find that just knowing this will aid your practice, and your relaxation during your practice.