Pick something you’re already drawn to, and build a short, regular practice around that. It could be journaling, sitting outside (or near a window) and watching the sun rise or set, or even mindful walking. Start with something you love or find nourishing, give it your full attention (even for just a few minutes), and let it be your doorway into feeling more present, grateful, and intentional.
It’s interesting—yogic (and other) practices of mindfulness and meditation trace back thousands and thousands of years. Way back before social media and the 24-hour news cycle, people were evidently already feeling distracted, scattered, stressed, and disconnected—and looking for support. Our modern yearning for focus, peace, and connection to something more than our chattering minds certainly has a contemporary flavor, but those impulses seem to be ancient and universal, just like the practices.
Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone who comes to my classes or listens to my free audio mediations and thinks I’m calm and centered (!), but I’m naturally a pretty anxious, high-strung person; it’s just the way I’m wired. All the tools of yoga, of which meditation and mindfulness are a part, help me cultivate the balance I need. They help me feel more grounded, more at ease, more regulated, and, most important, more connected to others.
One of my teachers often quotes one of her teachers with this reminder:
“Start in an easy way. It will take you all the way, the way you learned to walk by walking and to talk by talking. Learn to love by loving.” — Swami Tattvavidananda
You don’t need a week-long retreat or expensive clothes or special equipment or prior experience. What can be most helpful when you’re starting out or returning after a break is the support of a teacher and a community. Contact a local yoga studio or meditation group (nowadays, you can find them everywhere from Buddhist organizations and VA hospitals to churches) and ask what introductory classes or series they have that are beginner friendly. Then make a commitment to attend a class or a session regularly for a month or so—enough time to gain some familiarity with the practices so you can settle in and decide for yourself what parts feel supportive (or challenging in a good way), then build slowly and easily from there. Better yet, get a friend or loved one to commit to this exploration with you!
I would also love it if you have any other resources you can share? In the spirit of keeping things simple and of starting in an easy way, let me recommend just a few resources to begin with:
For more, visit my website: paigegilchristyoga.com
