This manual has been written with lots of love and care for you. We want to support you on your way of making mindfulness and meditation a regular, healthy habit in your llife.

In this ebook, you will find the following:

Perhaps you have already experienced the positive effects of meditation during your practice.

It has also been scientifically proven that a regular mindfulness practice can help us reduce stress and improve our concentration. Meditation gives us the right tools to develop compassion and empathy, to be more creative and to better manage difficult emotions or pain. It can also help us to simply feel more comfortable. In other words... it makes you want to continue?

However, you could compare meditation to sports or playing an instrument: nothing is more important than practicing it!

Talking about meditation or reading a book (or this e-book!) about it can inspire you, but unfortunately, it won't have much physical or mental effects.

And obviously, the harvest from the practice of mindfulness can only be reaped with regular training, it would be too simple otherwise! ; -)
Fortunately, there are simple steps that can help you make this regular (even daily) practice a part of your life.

The first step is to clarify your intention.

The intention with which you begin and deepen your practice is very important. It makes you more enthusiastic and helps you to stay motivated.

First of all, take a few minutes to answer this question:

What do I plan to do with this practice? What am I really looking for?

Maybe you're in search of inner peace, want to better manage your emotions, or want to build a healthy relationship with yourself? Maybe you just want to better understand your thoughts (because, let's face it, sometimes your brain and thoughts get overwhelming!)
Try to put your intentions into words.

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You can return to this intention at any later point in time. Perhaps your motivation is still a bit unclear and you just want to discover something new? Don't worry, you can still start meditating with an "undefined " intention. It will surely become more specific during your practice.

Now that you were able to narrow down your intention... the next step is to create good conditions for starting your practice. Are you ready ? ;)

In meditation, just like in life: there are ups and downs, and some days you will be tired and uninspired! No need to judge yourself for it, it happens to all of us​.

On a day of low motivation, just think about how easy it will one day be to keep up the routine after you put in all the effort to get there.

Defining a time and place for your regular practice will support you in the process. Of coure your attitude will play a crucial role: you have to believe in yourself and your ability to get there!

When is the right time to meditate?

There is no right or wrong time to do your meditation session. As part of finding your rythm, find that sweet spot for when and where to meditate. Make it match your lifestyle and ensure that this setting may be one that lasts for a long term. Don't be too overambitious and get up every day at 5am to meditate ;-).

You can include your meditation session in your daily routine: for example, every day just after getting up, after showering, when you arrive at the office, before or after lunch, after sports (or after your nap!), when you come home, before going to sleep... Your current habits will help you to integrate this new practice into your daily life.

Try to choose a time when you are relatively calm, usually not too tired and when you feel at peace. Many people like to meditate in the morning, because they can make good use of the clarity that the practice creates throughout the day. In the end, it's totally up to you to determine what's best for you.

How much time should I do?

"Half an hour of meditation is essential except when you are very busy. Then an hour is necessary." Saint Francis de Sales

Try to set yourself a realistic goal: twenty minutes may be too long at the beginning. You can start with five to ten minute sessions. If you are able to incorporate meditation slowly, but regularly into your daily life, you will be able to concentrate longer as you practice.

Your posture is the essence of your practice. Your body always remains in the present moment. If you get lost in your thoughts, you can always return to your posture by devoting all your attention to it.

There is no strict rule for the ideal posture. No one will force you to meditate in a lotus position (which is a common cliché). You can meditate anywhere - discreetly and effectively. A simple chair will do the job... First and foremost, you should be able to breathe freely without being hindered, feel comfortable but firmly anchored, open and stable. The posture must be physiologically correct (especially for the back) to help your mind be clear and alert.

Here you can see some common meditation postures:

If you are sitting on a chair: both feet are flat on the floor, the legs are hip-width apart, the thighs and calves form a 90-degree angle, the back is not bent, the pelvis is slightly tilted forward and the spine is naturally arched. The arms rest relaxed on the thighs, the posture of the head is dignified (imagine your head hanging from a wire).

Neither too stiff, nor too straight, but not too bent either.​

If you are sitting cross-legged (or in the lotus/half-lotus position) on a meditation cushion: make sure your pelvis is straight. Your knees should be under your hips to relieve your back (I don't want you to get stuck because of me!). Your hands rest relaxed on your thighs or knees.

For some meditations you can lie down, but be careful not to fall asleep. Some meditations can also be done while standing or walking.

You can close your eyes if you wish. With your eyes closed, it may be easier for you to concentrate. But you may also be tired... You can then meditate with your eyes open. Let your eyes rest on the ground about two metres in front of you.

You are now meditating: you have worked out your intention, you have chosen a place and a time and you have found your preferred posture. Perhaps you meditate alone or prefer to do guided meditations with us. Maybe sometimes you say to yourself: "I think about too many things". You think that you are the only one whose mind is full of thoughts. Maybe you even think that lack the ability to meditate. Don't worry, it's perfectly normal and it's similar to all of our experiences! In fact, it is impossible to " empty your head and no longer have thoughts. It is only when we interrupt our activities that we suddenly notice the background noise of our thoughts.​

The observation of these thoughts is the essence of meditation. We learn not to get carried away by the flow of thoughts, and we welcome them more quickly - as a thought and not as a reality. Therefore, don't blame yourself when you realise that you were lost in your thoughts. You may even feel happy because it shows that you've noticed it! And you've come back to the present moment. Remember that this is the focus of the exercise. Observe your thoughts and come back to the present moment ( you can do it a hundred times in one session, if you have to!).

Sooner or later, we all encounter some obstacles: fatigue, difficult emotions, boredom, or interruptions (your children who are already hungry, your boss who needs you to do a task, or the notifications on your phone not stopping...). Dealing with these challenges is also part of the journey. One of the healthiest attitudes in meditation is to be compassionate. Instead of reacting without thinking, you can use your knowledge aquired through mindfulness to be able to freely choose your response.​

The process is always the same:

1. First, become aware of what is going on inside you. Name your thoughts, body sensations and emotions. They may sound as follows:
"I feel tired from last night", "I am still very angry with my friend who forgot to warn me about something", "Meditation is still boring", "I am totally lost in my thoughts"...

2. Then try not to resist and have compassion for yourself. Relax and remember that everything that appears in your mind is completely normal. This will happen regularly. Behave as a good friend who supports you unconditionally.​

3. Take a few minutes to put your feelings and sensations at the centre of your mind. Examine what is going on in your body and mind. The following questions may help you:​

• When you are tired: Where do I feel it in my body? In my head? In my eyes? In my chest? Does it trigger certain emotions in me? Frustration? Discouragement?

• When you are bored and impatient: What happens in my mind when I'm bored? Where do I feel this boredom in my body? What happens if I look at this feeling for another minute? Am I still bored?

• For difficult emotions such as anger or sadness: How does this emotion express itself in my body? Where do I feel it most? In my stomach? In my throat? Is it hot or cold? What thoughts does it trigger?

• For noises that distract you from your meditation: What am I really hearing? How does my mind react to these sounds? Do they trigger certain thoughts or emotions in me?

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4. If thoughts or feelings that take you away from the present moment arise, give them the attention they need, they will gradually dissolve. Come back again and again to your body sensations.​

5. If the emotions become stronger and stronger, you can consciously decide to take a break or stop your session. The important thing is to be compassionate (I know, you must know this by now, I must have repeated it about ten times!). There is no point in hurting yourself by letting your emotions get the best of you...but it's perfectly normal to be overwhelmed by them sometimes ;)​

If the same difficulties occur repeatedly, you may ask yourself whether you should adapt your practice conditions. If, for example, you are always tired, you may consider whether you could give yourself more free time, or whether you could choose a more suitable time for meditation.​

Other tips to keep you motivated:

• Read books and articles on meditation and find the authors you like. You can also follow our social networks (Instagram​​ and Facebook​) where we regularly share inspiring content with you!​

• If you lack motivation or want to stimulate your practice, you can do guided meditations. They help you to learn mindfulness techniques and sharpen your understanding of your own practice. Always use a good quality of guided meditation - ideally, these sessions have been designed by certified meditation experts: Petit Bambou, for example, gives you access to experts chosen especially for their skills.​

• Meet other meditators or visit meditation retreats (they are available for a day, a weekend or more).​​
  

... enjoy your meditation! Remember that there is no goal - so there should be no pressure. Let go of your expectations. Trust that your practice will eventually pay off. Let it have an impact on you. In fact, you don't have to do anything - just sit here and now.

And once you sit, you've already won!​

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Do you live a very hectic life?

Are you particularly busy with your job, your family and/or your sports activities?

We have some tips for you!

In this case, you need to be especially careful to incorporate mindfulness into your life. If you spend a lot of time at the office, it may be useful to set up a permanent meditation place in your workplace. You can book a meeting room or meditate outside on a bench. Flights, train or metro rides are also opportunities to take time for meditation.​

Take short breaks (between 30 seconds and 3 minutes) throughout the day to return on a regular basis to the present moment, to be able to feel that you are in the here and now. You set your own schedule and priorities. And don't forget that the time you take to meditate is often more than compensated for by the high quality of your presence. So it's not a waste of time!​

When having children, the time available for ourselves is often very limited and sometimes (often!) interrupted. Be flexible and creative to find the best time for your meditation. You can divide your practice into several short sessions: for example, two times five minutes instead of one time ten minutes.

To further strengthen your practice, you can consciously go through your daily routine: walking up the stairs to the office, drinking your morning coffee, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, waiting at traffic lights...

If you have a baby, you can hold him/her in your arms while you meditate. If the parents are calm, the baby is usually relaxed as well.

And when your children are old enough (about five years old or more), you can invite them to meditate with you. Of course, without forcing them ;-)

Sometimes we hear "Sport is my meditation". Unfortunately, this is not true: sport cannot replace meditation - and vice versa!

However, meditation can help you enjoy sports better and even increase your performance by better managing your emotions and stress (e.g. during a competition). It also works the other way round: regular exercise is important to stay healthy and soothe the body and mind. So there's no need to choose!

You can regularly combine your meditation with your sports training, for example by sitting down a moment before or immediately after your training.

If you want to explore the effects of meditation on sports, you can try out certain meditation series, such as the Mind and sports​ program of Petit BamBou.

With this ebook, you now have everything you need to start or continue your meditation practice. If you encounter any problems or have any questions, please do not hesitate to write to us at wearehere4you@petitbambou.com​​.

If you need extra help for an easy introduction or to deepen your practice, you can try our Petit BamBou application. The first eight guided meditations are free of charge.

Happy meditating!

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