It’s been a little over one and a half year since I started meditating, and at times I still struggle to keep my practice regular.

This is not because of lack of time. Even though I’m normally busier than most people I know, I can always find time. I have to admit that this is a pure willpower thing.

My mind is so addicted to being productive and/or entertained, that doing something that’s inherently non-productive and that deprives my mind of intellectual stimulation is sometimes hard to justify.

But every time I take a break from meditating, I find myself more stressed, worried and unhappy.

To motivate myself, I sometimes read books and blogs. I like reading about other people’s experiences because of two things: I like:

  • learning about how they deal with this problem.
  • knowing that I’m not alone in this.

And yesterday I read a very interesting and inspiring point I would like to share:

Even when you’re not practicing, you’re practicing.

This doesn’t mean that not practicing and practicing are the same thing, and that therefore, the practice is unnecessary. No, what this means instead is that once you do come back to the practice, you will notice that your awareness has improved. You’ll be more aware of your unwholesome thoughts and feelings that are causing you and others pain and suffering.