One activity that can be helpful to our meditation practice is to intentionally take time to appreciate ourselves for the time and effort that we are put in to it.
In general, it can often seem like the human brain is not designed to celebrate and feel blessed in life but instead to focus on problems – what’s incomplete, broken, threatening, or otherwise in need of effort. While this survival mechanism has its place, it can also overshadow the good in life. What many of us engaged in personal growth understand, however, is that when we also intentionally reflect on what is going well, what there is to be grateful for, and what we can feel satisfied by, we often feel happier and are inspired to take actions that create even more positivity.
In the same spirit, taking time to acknowledge ourselves for what we get done in life can be an important part of gratitude and self-esteem practices. When we congratulate, respect, and celebrate ourselves for what we’ve achieved – big or small – it also fosters happiness and motivation that sets the stage for further successes.
Applying this to meditation, actively appreciating, celebrating, and admiring ourselves for our meditation practice can both positively boost our mood and foster consistency and depth in our practice.
Meditation is a profound act of self-development and self-care. From what I have seen and believe, steady meditation and daily mindfulness practice can help us to access more of the best in us – strength, positivity, peace, clarity, spaciousness, and presence. These benefits ripple outward, positively affecting both ourselves and those around us.
That said, as meditators know, the practice is sometimes difficult. Challenges may include facing the incomplete emotional residue of difficult experiences from our past, or simply persevering through the effort of learning and practice. Meditating often requires courage, persistence, and a willingness to sit with discomfort.
So, at times it can be motivating and encouraging to pause and overtly give ourselves acknowledgement, credit, respect, thanks, and a mental pat on the back for showing up. This is something that we can do immediately before a meditation sitting, right afterwards, or even as a separate gratitude practice.
As main teacher often says, the true measure of a good meditation isn’t whether it felt pleasant or unpleasant but simply that we actually did it. So, whether we’re preparing to meditate or have just completed a session, it’s safe to trust that our effort is worth celebrating and that we can appreciate ourselves for a job genuinely well done.