Learn to meditate - How to Make Meditation a Daily Habit In this day and age it's well-known how beneficial meditation can be. It can make you happier, improve your concentration, lower your stress levels, lower your blood pressure, decrease chronic pain, and in many other ways help you to be physically and mentally more healthy. An Ananda member, Dr. Peter Van Houten, M.D., wrote anumber of interesting articles on the science behind meditation and what its practice does to your body and brain. Most importantly, it brings inner peace and freedom. You will find over time that you need fewer outward distractions to keep you happy, and that you will identify more with your inner self than your physical appearance. Creating a Routine If you persevere with your meditation practice, meditating every day even when it is inconvenient, it will soon become an easy habit to maintain. Once you see how different your days are when they start with a meditation, you will see that it's not just for serious yogis, it's a necessity for everyone who wishes to enjoy life. Choose a specific time or times to meditate each day, in a specific place. It helps to join it to a strong existing habit, like after brushing your teeth or before eating breakfast, rather than to just insert it at a random time in your day. Meditating with a friend or a group can help keep you motivated and accountable because they will notice if you don't show up. It might not work for every day, but you could set up a time once a week to meditate with a friend or to go to a group meditation at a yoga studio. There are always ups and downs with meditation practice. You might have very deep meditations for several months, then suddenly not be able to focus. Don't worry too much about these and definitely don't get discouraged. It happens to everyone. Just keep doing the best you can and eventually you will come out on top. The final episode/post in this series will come tomorrow, with a list of next steps you can take to further develop your meditation practice and bring its benefits more strongly into your life.