See the video above for additional pointers on how to stay motivated in your meditation practice.

Haineux: I want to get myself to sit down and meditate every day, but I’m having a tough time with the motivation. I guess I’m afraid of meditation — maybe that I’ll spend the time beating myself up, or doing it wrong.

Lama Surya Das: It sounds like you are already familiar with the harsh inner critic, and meditation is just one more thing for that inner voice (from the past, no doubt) to pick on. What if you spend any time at all alone? Does that inner tyrant not bring you down then, too? So what to do? Just give in to fear and anxiety? Meditation includes befriending yourself and the world, wishing yourself and others well— which is the essence of loving-kindness— while cultivating a friendly, nonjudgemental and nonreactive, calm and clear friendly appreciation of things as they are— externally and internally, with self and with others. This is called mindfulness, nowness awareness or choiceless awareness in ancient yet timeless Buddhist tradition. It’s easier than you think, and there are many ways to do it.  Learning how often helps, and not just sitting down and trying not to think.  Try and see. Seminal psychologist Carl Jung, who helped introduce Eastern thought in the Western world almost one hundred years ago, astutely pointed out: “The most terrifying thing in the world is to accept oneself totally.” No wonder it often seems so hard to face oneself.  Therefore I wish you God luck! Let’s do it together, in spirit at least. Awareness is curative.

Submitted by Haineux via Tumblr on September 21st, 2010.