There are two important pieces of advice I would offer to people beginning their journey into mindfulness and meditation practice.
The first is to start each day on a positive note. That means that first thing in the morning, before checking emails or news or social media or your to-do list, you take a couple of minutes to sit in stillness and offer gratitude for what is already good in your life and to contemplate what other positive things you want to attract and cultivate. These few moments will frame your experience of the whole day ahead. We spend too much time focusing on what could go wrong and not enough time focusing on what could go right. When we begin our day on a negative note, that stress carries through and colors the rest of our experiences for the day. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.
The second thing is to let go of the concept that there is one right way to meditate or be mindful. Start simple. Do a 5-minute meditation and gratitude practice first thing in the morning and then find a couple of other times throughout the day just to pause and be still for 2 minutes, noticing the feeling of your body and the sounds happening around you. A big issue for beginners is that they get discouraged because they try to bite off more than they can chew. You don’t have to commit to a 30-minute meditation right away! Just sit for 2 minutes and feel the benefits it brings. This will naturally encourage you to want to do it more.
Check out this full article and insights from other mindfulness experts in Mystic Mag