How to begin?

[Clé]

Hi, I've come through a very challenging time in my personal life. I read 'Things Fall Apart' by Pema Chodron and The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield. Both helped me enormously. I'd like to just begin with something small now. To up it a gear from just reading about it. Can you give a suggestion for something to start with? Thank you

[Gareth]

Hello Clé, very pleased to meet you. Welcome to a small community of people who are interested in mindfulness. Hopeffully one day we will be bigger; I am working on that one.

Have a look at this small piece I wrote about starting with mindfulness practice and tell me what you think. I'm sure you will have further questions.

http://www.everyday-mindfulness.org/start.html

[rara]

Hi Cle :) Some good articles above from Gareth. How I started was with a martial art...I really had to understand the importance of not thinking about what I was having for dinner that night whilst training repetitive drills. Resulted in a punch in the face hehe. I'm not particularly suggesting to start a martial art, but maybe an activity which requires you to learn a new skill. We become complacent with our every day lives until eventually, we become sloppy and then lose our ability to to anything. Alternatively, you could dive straight into meditation and even start some classes to break you in...it really depends on what you want to get out of it. Have a play...the journey is fun too!

[FeeHutch]

Hi
I started with the book and CD - Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Prof Mark Williams and Dr Danny Penman which my counsellor lent me.

I always thought I was someone who 'couldn't' meditate but this book was so easy to read. It offers an 8 week programme with meditations on the accompanying CD. It was a revelation, I had really not been interested in this kind of thing before. Have a programme and that bit of guidance made sticking with it a lot easier.
I did flounder a bit when I had finished the 8 weeks and was trying to build my own practice but I am getting there.

The main thing I have found helpful is the 'just do it' idea. I have lots of days when the last thing I want to do is tune in to my body and mind because I am stressed or in pain or anxious. Just doing it anyway has shown me these are the times I most need to be in the moment.

[rara]

Just doing it anyway has shown me these are the times I most need to be in the moment.

Ding!