Make your meditation space beautiful. Arrange it with objects that bring you inner peace (images of serenity, happiness, pictures of loved ones, pictures or statues of Buddhas, flowers, candles, incense, etc.). Try to meditate in the same space each time when possible.

Meditation should be enjoyable and not another thing we cram into our busy schedules. Think about the benefits of meditation, namely how meditation is the cause of inner peace and how inner peace is the source of happiness. Contemplating this deeply, we will naturally arrive at a longing to meditate in order to experience deeper and deeper levels of inner peace. Then meditation will be joyful and authentic, not forced.

Some people like to start their day off with meditation in the morning, while others feel less rushed later in the day when they return home from work and finish other activities. Choose a time that makes sense for you. Be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking “I have no time to meditate.” Set an intention the night before “I plan to meditate in the morning,” or “I will attend meditation class tomorrow night at KMC-LI” to help motivate you to meditate regularly. We can all carve out 15-20 minutes a day if we strongly believe that meditation improves our lives.