Dedicated Training space
Creating a dedicated training space - maybe not as idyllic as this, yet work with the space you have available!
Own your space.
We don’t always have the luxury of a beautiful, perfect space to train. The less perfect our space seems as we judge beauty and design, perhaps the more perfect it may be for practical and tactical skills training.
Choose your space. It may be indoors or out; a vehicle, a room in your home, an office at work, a hotel workspace, or other creative option.
Wherever you may be, whatever space you have to work with, make it yours. Begin with a mindful practice - take a few deeper breaths than normal, relax any tension that might be present in your body as a result of anxiety around where to train.
Take a look around and notice what’s there - the space itself, the empty space, and the space taken up by objects such as furniture or equipment. Ask yourself how you might skillfully occupy this space in comfort and in peace, with an intention to pay attention. How might you show up within this space in order to sit, observe, and take in information - from your internal awareness, and from the world around you? Can you envision being present here?
Bound Predictable Distractions and Embrace What’s Left
We often are concerned about a perfect space with no distractions. This scenario is rare and unnecessary. Embrace the discomfort, it is an ally that makes us stronger.
Remember that distractions are a gift and we skillfully work with them in meditation practice, and in life. It’s okay to train in a space that has some distractions. Here are a few things we can do to put some boundaries around distractions that are predictable:
Communicate to family, friends, and household members that you are creating some “block time” for training in mindfulness and they can support you by limiting interruptions (visits, texts, calls, emails, etc.)
Set your phone, computer, and all other technology devices to silent with zero notification. You may choose to turn off all devices sans the one with which you’ll connect to the training session. This itself is a mindfulness practice! An opportunity to notice the anxiety that emerges when we feel disconnected from a constant flow of information, or from our sense of connectedness to others via technology.
Have a plan to move to another space… shift to your mobile device and take a walk to enjoy the benefits of a mobile training space, for example. If you find yourself consistently uncomfortable in the space you’ve chosen, move to another space - we Americans love our cars… one option is to sit in your vehicle (in a safe place, of course).
Be with whatever distractions are left after you’ve done some preparation. Remember that distractions are a gift. Use them as an opportunity to notice what emerges and work skillfully to process that experience without reactivity and judgment. This takes lots of practice.
Practical Presence
Be here now; Be in the moment, right? Maybe not. Here are a couple of tips that can help us to show up authentically and practically.
Set your intention and Do this One Thing. Consider your intention for joining a training session. Why are you choosing to train? Is there one word that captures why you are showing up? Reflect on this and allow your intention to strengthen your attention.
Give yourself a break. Seriously, if you need to mute the speaker volume, your camera, and microphone and just step away, do it. This is your training, you know what you need more than any trainer/teacher/instructor. Be sure to come back at some point. And when you do, be present, participate and engage with the cohort. This means, most of the time, to have your camera on and communicate with the group in voice and chat opportunities. You came for a reason and with a serious intention…exploring this doesn’t mean you have to endure every scheduled session with the expected compliance we may have felt in elementary school. It does however challenge us to come back and explore both what we see as beneficial, and what brings up aversion within us.
Technology & Stuff You Might Need
Internet-connected device - some tech to connect to the training session.
Earpiece, Headphones, or speaker - noise-canceling headphones might reduce sound distractions quite nicely, yet aren’t required.
Refillable water bottle - yep, staying hydrated is important even when we are mostly sedentary. Also, have a supply of your favorite coffee, tea, or other beverage, and be sure to enjoy these too!
Stadium blanket - for some sitting meditation practice or other instruction, you might enjoy wrapping up in a warm blanket. Alternatively, a hat or light jacket might be helpful if the weather is chilly, inside or out.
Seating options - Have a chair that is comfortable and allows you to sit upright with your feet comfortably resting on the floor. Also, have one or more options - may be a sit cushion and another chair that’s either more or less comfortable than the first. Move amongst these options during your training to give yourself a break and to allow more alertness in your body.
Yoga mat - good for stretching between sessions and actual training sessions that may use a yoga mat. Even when we aren’t training yoga specifically, these mats are very useful.
Notepad and Pen- yep, for taking notes, or doodling, yes- definitely for doodling.