Can mindfulness practice, like a lifelong friend, become an integral and valued part of your life?

Start with taking a moment to stabilize and steady yourself with this sense of coming home to your body, really having a sense of inhabiting the body. And the word inhabiting, of course, means coming home to, being at home in the body. And then when you're ready, remind yourself of the answers to these questions. What's most important in my life?

What or who do I value most? And whatever comes up, make a note. And then ask again, what's most important in my life? What do I value the most? Who do I value the most?

Keep noting down so that you have this updated list of what's important to you. Now when you've got this list, ask yourself, how can my mindfulness practice help? How can it support me with what I value most in my life? Again, note each reason down. Then ask the question again and see what comes up.

When you see your practice, something that helps you with what's important in your life, it transforms it from being something to build into your life, to being something that like a good friend is always there for you and helps you to live the life you aspire to. You've learned these three forms of mindfulness. There's the formal mindfulness practices like mindfulness of the body, of breathing and movement. There's the everyday practices like eating mindfully, appreciation, 5050 awareness and the 3 step breathing space. And then there's this idea of life itself as a form of practice.

These different practices are like 3 legs of a stool, you need all 3. Together, they'll give you stability and roundness. The focus to choose what and how you pay attention and see what's happening and develop understanding. The attitudes of mindfulness you're learning, curiosity, kindness, care, they broaden and build focus and understanding. But they also emerge out of understanding.

So my invitation to you is to ask yourself what mindfulness practice is right for you today, this week, this month, this year? To develop this sense of trust that you know what you need. This includes knowing what's realistic, balanced with what you need. There may be periods when you choose to do a particular practice. There may be periods when you practice intensively and consistently.

And then other times when you step back from mindfulness practice altogether. All of that is absolutely fine. What you're doing over time is beginning to think of your practice as being like a lifelong friend, someone who's always there for you, always there to help you keep on track and enjoy your life.