Written by Jen Liu

A key aspect of the development of a practice — and what sometimes separates it from other pursuits in our life — is the work we put into engaging it in a consistent, dedicated way. Establishing such a commitment can motivate us to keep returning to our cushion through the blissful sits and frustrating ones alike. Consistency can also help us lovingly detach from what we may otherwise view as obstacles to our practice; when we view consistency as something worth developing in and of itself, we may become less likely to talk ourselves out of practicing for insubstantial reasons.

Imagine your mind as a seed that requires sunlight and water on a regular basis in order to grow and thrive. It would be unskillful to dump a bucket of water on it once a month when you panic and realize the soil has gone dry; nor would you deprive it of sunlight for weeks and place it out in full sun one afternoon to try to make up for it. Instead, it would be wise to strive each day to maintain a lush, healthy, and consistent environment in which the plant can grow steadily on its own.

Maybe you have a green thumb and are an experienced gardener, or adopted your very first houseplants over the pandemic that you quickly needed to learn how to tend. In either case, many of us have experienced the unfortunate consequences of expecting the delicate process of cultivation to happen without working to sustain the conditions that allow for growth. In that same way, meaningful inner transformation is difficult to achieve without consistent and mindful effort.

This idea of consistency is inherent in the very foundations of mindfulness meditation: the resilience we practice by returning to our breath with gentle awareness when our mind has strayed is the very same resilience we practice by returning to our cushion day after day. At the same time, becoming fixated on practicing a certain amount can be a recipe for imbalance as well. The principle of the “middle way” can be of benefit here: have you become too lax in your practice, or too rigid in it? You know better than anyone!

What is your relationship to consistency in your meditation practice or the other practices in your life — spiritual, creative, relational?