Your Mindful Coach offers mindfulness & meditation workshops, retreats & consultations
 with a special focus on youth sports, men, middle age and the workplace.

Maintaining a practice through interesting times

Clark Griswold practices standing meditation in National Lampoon's Vacation
In this month's  podcast and blog, " Maintaining a practice through vacation, illness and busyness," I walk through some tips that are informed by the reasons we practice mindfulness. Consistent practice is important to lasting results however it doesn't have to be a grim, over-structured duty. A good base of practice will allow for some inconsistency, especially if you take just a tiny bit of time out of each day. The wisdom and compassion of mindfulness has a tendency to appear just when you need it. 

One way to jump start a practice is to join in community. See below for details on an exciting retreat on December 10.

Some tips for maintaining a practice

In my most recent blog and podcast , I explore simple ways to maintain a practice in times when it is challenging:
  1. Lower your standards  - Meditation teacher Sharon Salzburg likes to say, "just put your body there" and "assume the position." Try to say "this is what I can do today and I'm doing it." Letting go of the perfectionist in you and allowing yourself to be flawed shows great self-compassion. 
  2. Connect your practice to a routine - Perhaps you brew tea or coffee in the morning. Take that time while you are waiting to sit quietly and observe your breath. Just allow yourself to be present in your environment. It can even be as you wait in line at the grocery store or for your gas tank to fill.
  3. Give yourself reminders - Download the mindfulness bell app to remind you to stop, breathe and be throughout your day. Place dots in prominent places to remind you to take a breath or even use post-it notes.
  4. Do one thing & do it early - I've found that if I delay my practice until later in the day, fear often keeps me from sitting. Try rubbing your legs, arms, shoulders and heads vigorously as you get out of bed in the morning and find your way to a short sitting meditation.
    5.

Try these guided meditations to support your practice

You might find the following guided mindfulness practices helpful from my  7 Mindful Minutes series which can be found on  Stitcher or  PlayerFM or through the iTunes links below:





Walking Meditation can also be a nice way to be both "in the world and of the world" through connection with nature or perhaps just your own body.  Here's a practice you might try.

Save the Date - Half-Day Meditation Retreat December 10

On Saturday, December 10, Your Mindful Coach presents Discovering the Voice of Your Heart, a half-day meditation retreat.  

Register by September 27 for a $15 discount by entering the promo code EARLY.

The day will be accessible to everyone, regardless of  experience. We will do several guided meditations and partner activities of 10 to 20 minutes along with leader talks and discussions. 

Also, please email me if you are interested in Mindful Men Meeting, a membership group that meets monthly in Tredyffrin to practice mindfulness and discuss topics of interest to men.

Useful Resources


Visit my website , blog or podcast for iTunes , Stitcher, PlayerFM or Soundcloud .

Email me  for details on  Mindful Men Meeting , a group meeting monthly to practice mindfulness.


Marc Balcer  brings his experience as a coach, entrepreneur and investor to Your Mindful Coach . He has received training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Management, Mindful Self-Compassion and Mindful Schools. A limited number of private consultation times are available to build your mindfulness practice. Sessions may be done by phone, Skype video or in person at a rate of $95/ hour.
Email for details.