It is fun to learn to meditate. You join a group, buy a zafu (meditation pillow), buy some candles and incense, etc. Now it is time to meditate everyday at home. The meditation instructor says it is a good idea to do it on a regular basis. You are excited!

You set up a small area with all the important items. You are prepared. The first couple of days go smoothly. You scheduled a time to sit (meditate) and you followed it to the letter. The next day you forgot you have a doctors appointment so you will sit a little later. You forget. The next day you say to yourself that you will sit even longer to make up for the day before. You wind up getting home from work and you are exhausted. So you skip the session, swearing to yourself that you will make it up...you never do.

This is what happens to most people that take up meditation. The scenarios may vary a bit but the gist is the same. It is ok. Just climb back onto that zafu and start sitting again! This is all part of the process. The daily battle. Once you do get on that zafu, now the real work begins. Meditation has a lot of benefits. The benefits however will only "benefit" you if you do the sitting. Just reading about meditation or talking to friends about it will get you nowhere.

So remember: the first rule of meditation is the actual meditation. You have to do it to benefit from it,