Nurturing the internal conditions that will support your meditation practice is vital. According to Jeffrey Brantley, MD, in his book Calming Your Anxious Mind, the key factors within are attitude, curiosity, motivation, and belief in yourself.
The orientation you bring to your meditation practice is critical in order to reap the benefits from this practice. What attitude do you have about meditation practice? Meditation will fix everything and solve all my problems and if it doesn't in two weeks, forget about it? Meditation works for me while I'm sitting with a group, but it doesn't when I'm facing a conflict, so what's the point? It seems to be taking a long time, too long, and I don't have time for too long?
A skilled attitude would be to remember that meditation is a process, a journey. "Learning takes place only through your own practice and willingness to be present and to pay attention," writes Brantley. "It is not based on preconceived ideas or what you think you know. Your understanding grows over time as you gain direct experience practicing meditation regularly."
Think of your attitudes like the soil, the sunlight, the air, temperature, and moisture for a garden. Nurture your attitudes. This way you are able to establish a strong and supportive daily meditation practice.
