Preparing Your Environment
Location, location, location. You have learned that overcoming your
environment is a critical step in breaking the habit of being yourself.
Finding the right environment in which to meditate, one with a minimum of
distractions, will really give you a leg up on defeating the first of the Big
Three (we’ll cover the other two, the body and time, in a moment). Pick a
comfortable place where you can be alone and not be seduced by the
addiction of the external world. Make it secluded, private, and easily
accessible. Go to this place every day, and make it your special location.
You will form a strong connection with this setting. It will represent where
you frequent to tame the distracted ego, overcome the old self, create a new
self, and forge a new destiny. In time you will truly look forward to being
there.
A participant in one event I led told me that she always fell asleep when
she meditated. Our conversation went like this:
“Where do you practice your mindfulness training?”
“In bed.”
“What does the law of association say about your bed and sleep?”
“I associate my bed with sleep.”
“What does the law of repetition demonstrate about sleeping in your bed
every night?”
“If I sleep in the same place nightly, I am hardwiring an association of
bed with sleep.”
“Given the fact that neural networks are formed by combining the law of
association with the law of repetition, might you have formed a neural
network to the effect that bed means sleep? And since neural networks are
automatic programs that we unconsciously use every day, does it stand to
reason that when you are on your bed, your body (as the mind) will tell you
to automatically and unconsciously fall into oblivion?”
“Yep. I guess I need a better place to meditate!”