Here’s a confession: I haven’t meditated since moving to California. In Miami I made it a practice to meditate when I could on our balcony overlooking the bay and seeing the sun rise.

I was spoiled. I haven’t found a way to match those conditions where we live in LA. So I made the excuse that “the conditions aren’t right” or “I need some time to figure out how to set up a meditation practice.”

BS.

While I was never consistent on a daily basis with meditating, I’d always feel better when I did. More awake. More mentally clear. More calm. Sometimes I’d say, “I’m too tired to meditate” and skip it, but every time I do it I find it more jolting than a cup of coffee (I’ll still have my coffee afterwards).

So since being out in the West Coast I’ve missed the benefits of meditating. Two days ago I finally said “screw it” and took a walk to the park, found a spot, and pulled up the Daily Calm.

It wasn’t easy. When I was consistent I had gotten to a good place where I could quiet my mind a good amount. This session was just non-stop chatter. But I stayed with it. For 10 minutes. And I felt a lot better.

Like coming back to working out after taking a break, you have to remember you’re not going to be at the same place you were at when you left. You just have to embrace the process, and be eager to continue the journey.

Determined to keep up the meditation habit…I skipped out on yesterday. But today I said I’m going to wake up, drag myself to the couch, and do a session. And I did.

If you’re looking to get started, I use Calm and highly recommend it. Headspace is another popular app. For something with a little less guidance (and totally free) try Oak.