These concepts are joined in a useful way through mindfulness itself. Mindfulness is the attempt to stay in the present moment, and meditation is the act of consciously doing this.
“The crossover is that one typically learns to practice mindfulness by way of a formal meditation practice called mindfulness meditation -- and then expands the practice in order to spend as much of life as possible in a state of mindful awareness,” says Marchand. “In other words, mindfulness meditation is the foundation upon which a mindfulness practice is built.”
To begin a mindfulness meditation practice, Marchand suggests taking three steps. The first is committing to the practice itself on a daily basis.
“You have to put it on your calendar and stick with it like you would any appointment,” Marchand says. “It’s all about structure. Making it a habit is key.”
Part of this is picking a daily time and place that work for you. People wrongly assume that this process needs to be complex, but it doesn’t.
“There is no black or white way to plan a mindfulness meditation practice. You can meditate at any time,” Marchand says. “People often meditate first thing in the morning or before bedtime. But you can even meditate on your lunch break. The important thing is to block out the time and commit to it.”
That said, there are two important factors to consider when picking a meditation time and place. These factors revolve around how busy the time and place you have picked will be.
“You want to find a time that’s calm. For example, if you have young children, pick a time when they are asleep or at school or daycare,” Marchand says. “Also, let family members know the importance of your new routine and ask them not to disturb you during your practice.”