Step Out of Meditation Stagnation by Making Each Day a Mindful Retreat

The Spring of 2013 was one of the most rigorous points in my meditation journey. 

I was spending 2 hours a day on seated practice, but I still felt like I was missing something.

I felt a glimmer of hope in the fact that I had an extended meditation retreat scheduled in a few weeks. I was eager to escape from all the usual disruptions of my daily life. Surely, then I would finally be able to find true calm and develop some deep mindfulness.

When I mentioned this to my meditation teacher, Beth, she said something that would forever change the way I looked at practice:

“Why are you waiting for perfect conditions to be more mindful? Why can’t you bring that level of attention to your regular life at home?”

This change of perspective was one of the most critical turning points in my mindfulness journey.

I realized that I had been so focused on formal practice that I was ignoring the infinite other opportunities I had.

Everything changed once I took my practice off the cushion and into every aspect of my daily life. My life and practice were never the same. I saw that full integration was the actual breakthrough I was searching for.

While this might seem like a daunting task, it’s actually easier than you expect.

Here are three easy ways to be more mindful all day, every day.

Anchor in the physical.

Regardless of where you are, the physical sensations of your body will always be present.

What you feel in the body is a direct ticket to present-moment awareness. You can notice the contact with the ground beneath you or the sensations of your breath. The physical sense is always there to be observed.

Anchoring in the body will keep you anchored in the present.

Always be on the lookout for pauses.

While life can feel like a non-stop barrage of stimulation, there are infinite little pauses if you pay close attention.

Consider the time you spend stopped at a traffic light or waiting in line at the coffee shop. In these moments, the default is to just space out or grab your phone — but this is a wasted opportunity. Instead, you can make these spaces a mini-meditation.

Any time you find yourself waiting or just pausing, use that as a moment to bring some mindful attention to the moment.

Let it go.

But simply noticing your experience is not enough; you need to find a sense of ease within it.

This level of practice is a bit more subtle than the previous two, but it’s the one that will make the most significant difference.

Notice the moments when you feel stuck or tense. Is it possible to let go instead? Each time you let go, you suffer less.

If you let go completely, you won't suffer at all. (This is the very first lesson of my 8-week immersion, Embodied Mindfulness.)

Change Your Relationship With Practice.

Infusing your daily life with mindfulness will completely shift your relationship with practice.

You will no longer hold rigid boundaries between formal and informal practice. Every moment can become a chance to be more aware.

But most importantly, you'll feel more connected, more calm, and more alive on a daily basis.

And it will even help infinitely when you do come back to more traditional sitting.

As I said before, it was a profound turning point in my journey. 

I hope that you, too, can join me on the path.

….

What are your favorite ways to be more mindful during the day? Please let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it on your preferred social media so that all of your friends can benefit from greater mindfulness during their day!

If you’d like me to guide you through an 8-week immersion that fuses daily mindfulness, yin yoga, and meditation for a true transformation, please join me for Embodied Mindfulness.