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For my older brothers, Andrew and Christopher, and my younger brothers, Chad and Jeffrey Scott, with gratitude and reverence for all you have taught me.
Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.
Rumi
CONTENTS
MY PARENTS TAUGHT MY BROTHERS AND ME ABOUT MINDFULNESS WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, but that wasnt the word they used. We practiced reverence by folding our arms, sitting quietly, and listening. I wrestled with my mind and body in those moments, wanting to do anything else but sit still, but sit still I certainly did... most of the time.
Practicing reverence as a child led me to commit my life to the practice and study of mindfulness. I started my first meditation group in high school, and then, in my early 20s, I had the great privilege of opening spiritual centers, consulting on meditation studios, leading corporate trainings on mindfulness, and working with celebrities, politicians, and executives on training their minds and bodies to achieve their goals. These years of hands-on experience with students combined with a committed practice and irreversible thirst for truth led me to write my first book, Practical Meditation for Beginners, a guide to learning 10 different meditation techniques, how to practice them, and understanding their scientific benefits as well as psychological and spiritual applications.
Establishing a daily mindfulness practice is a powerful decision. Even five minutes a day of meditation for a year has incredible effects. Im excited to share this 365-day guide to meditation to support you in your commitment to a daily mindfulness practice. Set up like a calendar, beginning January 1 and ending December 31, it includes some of the most effective mindfulness exercises, meditations, affirmations, mantras, and inspirational quotes. You can open these pages to the appropriate date and dive right in to a relaxing and rewarding mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness practices can specifically increase feelings of calm and relaxation, even in the face of uncomfortable circumstances, which will give you more energy and clarity to navigate lifes challenges. With the consistent practice presented in this book, the subtle relationship between your mind and body will strengthen, and you will adopt a perspective that is more confident, accepting, compassionate, and wise.
Incorporating daily mindfulness exercises into your life delivers numerous benefits to your relationships, work, finances, and physical well-being. When practicing mindfulness, you may also find that your intuition, attention to detail, and ability to retain and process information increase dramatically.
Throughout the book, youll encounter a variety of meditations, exercises, and mantras that speak to developing and growing from a mindfulness practice. Certain practices will be done sitting up, others lying down. Some will incorporate physical movement like walking or eating, and others will utilize movement in the body to balance mind/body coordination and left/right brain hemisphere harmonization. There are also reflections to take with you throughout your day, a perspective to adopt or an affirmation to use. (Youll notice that the affirmations are written in the present progressive tense, which helps guide the mind from the current thinking habits and into a new perspective.)
Mantra means meditation object and is a word, phrase, sound, object, or idea that serves as the reference point in a meditation. When the mind wanders, we bring it back to the mantra. Several of the mantras included in this book are written in Latin. The purpose of having the mantra in Latin is that this is a dead language, occurring as no ones normal conversational language, which means that fewer mental associations will come up as you use it. Each mantra is explained as to its meaning and purpose along the way.
This book is a great tool in your arsenal for taking great care of yourself, advancing yourself psychologically, and establishing a greater sense of well-being. However, if you are experiencing any ongoing or debilitating sadness, anxiety, or feelings of depression, this book is not a replacement for a therapist or formal medical attention. There is no shame in seeking help or treatment, and while this book will help navigate the tumult of everyday living, more extreme cases should be addressed by a professional. Think of it as getting the support you need and building your team.
