Keeping things simple is not always easy for lawyers to do. We often like to learn all the things and know all the tricks. When it comes to meditation, I had this problem at first too.
I was so astounded that meditation helped me manage overthinking and anxiety that I had to figure out why. Part of that meant learning about all the mindfulness practices I could to try to put the puzzle pieces together.
This kind of exploration is not bad, but at the end of the day it did not change my daily meditation practice much. After more than a decade, my daily mindfulness routine looks a lot like it did at the beginning.
As I have learned, this is a good thing. Keeping your practice simple is one of the best ways to make it last and to get benefits from meditation. Here are few reasons why.
A Simple Meditation Practice Reduces Decision Fatigue
As I have written before, my practice is truly very simple because I usually sit in silence. At first, I used guided meditations, so I am not shaming it if you do. The reason I quit, though, was that I got sick of trying to find a meditation for practice every day.
This blog illustrates that there are tons of modalities to use to make up a mindfulness practice. But, if you had to pick a practice every day, actual practice might get derailed by decision fatigue.
This is a real concern for lawyers. We rely on discernment every day to help clients make decisions. Delayed gratification is built in our jobs. If our rest time also requires the use of the same mental faculties, it may not really feel like rest.
This is why keeping things simple is essential for mindfulness practice. Once we adopt a single practice or a set regimen, we don’t have to decide. All we have to do is the mindfulness practice itself.
Keeping Mindfulness Simple Supports Relaxation without Effort
Another advantage of a simple approach to meditation is that it makes relaxation much easier. If you do the same practice most days, you will more quickly come to associate the practice with calm.
For example, if you do breath focus practice every day, your mind and body will eventually adjust. You may notice that you quickly, and nearly automatically, relax. This may help you enter the meditative state with more ease.
As I have written before, finding enjoyment in your meditation practice is important. Many lawyers think meditation is about discipline and to some degree this is true. But if meditation is mostly discipline, it will be harder to do.
Most lawyers try meditation to manage stress and build happier lives. To that end, it makes sense to build a practice that supports as much relaxation and rest time as possible. This is why keeping your practice siple is important. It lets you spend more time in relaxation and spend less time trying to relax.
A Simple Meditation Practice Builds True Mastery
Meditation is not only good for lawyers because it is a practice we can do that can help us calm down. The most beneficial aspect of mindfulness comes when we don’t have to rely on a practice. By that, I mean meditation can actually help you go take mindfulness from practice to trait.
While there are many ways to practice mindfulness, most of us know that different practices may lead to different results. In this way, spreading your time thin across many different practices may result in a shallow understanding of any one practice.
Picking one or just a few practices when you meditate gives you the chance to go deep. It allows you to build mastery in skills in a way that a more eclectic practice does not. This is because you get more time and more practice repetitions to build experience and wisdom.
You Can Explore Other Mindfulness Practices as Needed Over Time
Now, if your mind is screaming that monogamy in meditation practice is boring or leaves too little room for exploration, calm down. Keeping your meditation practice simple does not mean that it can never change.
Remember that meditation is a practice for life. Ideally this means that you will practice mindfulness for many years, including up to the rest of your life. Having meditated for over a decade, I can say that exploration and shifts in practice are essential.
You can keep your mindfulness practice fresh by trying new things. This is why I have used and teach everything from body scan to loving-kindness to open awareness on this blog. In addition, new challenges in life often emerge that may affect our practice. For instance, if health reasons cause sitting meditation to be a struggle, we might want to try walking meditation or yoga instead.
Even after shifting my practices many times over the years to account for changes in myself or my life, simplicity has been the one constant for me. I have tried and will keep trying all the practices out there. But at the end of the day, I know I can always come back to my simple practice of focusing on my breath or just sitting and letting things arise and fade away.
Exploration is a wonderful way to learn about mindfulness but it is also wonderful to have a stable and consistent practice that feels like home.
Conclusion: Keep Meditation Simple
In short, if you want a strong meditation practice, it is not necessary to have an elaborate one. It is not necessary to know every mindfulness practice there is. It is not even necessary to find the “best” possible style of meditation.
Instead, what works best for lawyers with busy schedules and too many decisions to make at work, is to find the best practice for you. That means the practice that you want to return to day after day. In general, that means a simple practice which includes one or a select few mindfulness practices built into a daily or near daily routine.
Keeping your meditation practice simple won’t make it boring. It will invite relaxation with less effort, build true mastery, and let you spend your time cultivating mindfulness instead of debating what practice to use.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
Like this post? Subscribe to the blog here or follow us on social media:
