We all want to be more disciplined in those daily habits and routines that improve the quality of our lives. But it’s not easy! Here’s a routine that will ease you into a regular time of meditation that will prove so rewarding you’ll wonder why you waited so long to try it!

Week 1 Get up 5 minutes early every morning. Drink half a glass of warm water and sit quietly on a large pillow or cushion for 3 minutes. Focus on your breathing, just watching as it moves in and out of your body with its own natural rhythm. When your 3 minutes are up, bring your hands to your heart and give thanks for the day that lies ahead of you. With an inhalation, lift your arms out to the sides of your body and up overhead, with palms facing each other or touching. Release the exhalation with the mouth forming "O" and then "M". This is "OM", the universal sound of vibration being sent out to join with all other vibration throughout the Universe, connecting everything that exists, connecting you to your deepest Inner Self. As the breath is exhaled, the hands slide down in front of the face and rest at the heart. Hold your attention right here for another breath, appreciating the serenity of the moment and setting an intention to make this day the very best it can be. Rise from your cushion slowly and go about your normal daily routine with a renewed sense of purpose.

Week 2 Get up 5 minutes earlier than last week. Begin by gently splashing cool water on your face and massaging your closed eyelids for a few seconds. Blink your eyes 7 times, then rotate them clockwise and counter-clockwise, 4 times each way. Look up and down, side to side, and diagonally in both directions (4 times for each). Brush your teeth with a natural, organic toothpaste (Jason’s Ester-C is nice). Follow by gently scraping tongue with the edge of a spoon and rinse well (both tongue and spoon!) Drink your warm water and proceed with routine as described above.

Week 3 Arise 5 minutes earlier than last week. After drinking your warm water, stand with your feet hip’s width apart, pressing firmly through the soles as you lengthen the rest of your body upward. Bring your hands to your heart and relax your shoulders. Breathe 16 rounds of Sitali breath by curling your tongue to form a straw as you inhale, and relaxing the tongue as you close your lips and exhale through the nose. One round is a complete inhalation and exhalation. Move to your meditation cushion and continue as outlined in Weeks 2 and 1.

Week 4 Add another 5 minutes to your routine by extending your meditation to 8 minutes. Stay with this 20 minute commitment for another month or two, until it is well established and you feel ready to expand your meditation time.

Be sure to give yourself permission to take a day off every week, and don’t feel guilty if it doesn’t happen exactly as you expected it to. Remember that your reason for engaging in a meditation practice is to enrich your spiritual life and find your way back to who you are, so be as loving toward yourself as you would be to a good friend who was embarking on a new discipline. Don’t take yourself too seriously!