How I Started a 9,000-Hour Meditation Practice and Counting

Meditation is one of those things I had never heard of growing up. It just wasn't a thing.

It's all the hype today of course, but when I was growing up, mindfulness and self-care just didn't even exist in the strict little small Southern Baptist town I was raised in.

The Quest Starts for Finding a Meditation Technique

When I moved to Hollywood in my early 20s I quickly started receiving the big blows in life, stress, anxiety, and started contemplating… what are we here for, what is all of this?!

Moving to Hollywood completely changed my life, so much for the better….and I wouldn't even say for the worse because those terrible inner struggles are what made me desperately look for a solution.

I moved there to pursue my dreams of being a famous singer, I couldn’t have imagined that meditation is actually what I would end up doing and loving and pursuing AND most of all, able to find life so fulfilling….all because of meditation.

The Idea of Being Present

At the time, my journey into meditation felt like a complete shot in the dark. I started dabbling in spirituality, yoga, and metaphysics, trying everything to find my way.

I wandered the aisles of Barnes & Nobles in Los Angeles looking for books that explored the power of mindfulness. As soon as I opened one of these books, my world was flipped upside down!

The idea that being present in each moment without judgment or attachment was incredibly foreign to me.

Actually, it was even scary but in a way that I wanted to find out more. So naturally, skepticism crept in.

Without any guidance or structure at first, I tried out some basic techniques but nothing seemed to stick just yet...

This is my story of how I began my 9000 hour meditation practice and counting.

Little did I know how much these simple techniques would help me find clarity, focus, and a greater sense of purpose.

Watching the Breath

A few years later, I found a practice for watching the breath called the Hong Sau technique. This is a practice of following the breath in and out and repeating the Hong Sau mantra with the movement of the breath.

The meaning of this mantra is I am He or I am That.

This is when I was finally able to commit to a steady routine, but again, just watching the breath was not enough for my big imagination and active mind.

And this wasn’t a personal mantra, I had just read it in a book. I wanted an actual real mantra.

Moving on to Finding a Mantra

And funny how the next part happened.

I was watching the Beatles documentary and George Harrison was talking about his experience as well with finding his way to mediation and he made his famous quote saying “I wanted me a mantra” (repeat that again to yourself in the famous George Harrison accent!)

You may know of his association with the famous Yogi Maharishi who founded Transcendental Meditation (TM). TM is now a very well known and big organization that still continues to teach meditation.

Their process is to provide a mantra to the initiate and this is their main practice, repetition of the mantra.

So like George Harrison, I too needed me a mantra! But where to find one???? He literally inspired me to find one.

Where and How do you Get Initiated with a Mantra?

I had read that for the seed of the mantra to be planted deeply and really become most effective you needed to be initiated by someone who is from a lineage of yogis and who is pure in character…but where to find such a person?!!

I really didn’t know, so I just kept up with my Hong Sau technique of watching the breath. And again, this technique is great, I still use it to calm my mind at the beginning, but I needed to give my mind something more to interact with.

But I still longed for something more personal and started reading more about mantras and malas.

Inspiration from the Autobiography of a Yogi

Thus continuing the reading reading reading any spiritual book I could get my hands on, I went to the next spiritual book that so many people read, Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda.

I was so inspired after reading the book that I went to my computer and googled back in early 2000 for any Hindu temples near me. And I about fell over that there was a Kali temple about 15 minutes from me!!

The Path to the Goddess Kali

There is only one dedicated Kali Temple in all of the US and it was 15 minutes from me in Laguna Beach, California. And I had just read the autobiography of a Yogi where Yogananda mentions his amazing experience at the Kali temple in Dakshineswar, Kolkata and how Kali was a big part of his worship growing up….and there is one right by me???!!!

Not only that but they are modeled after the Dakshineswar Temple I had just read about and follow the ritualistic worship that is prescribed by the actual priest at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple.

I was overjoyed. I went there and learned about proper initiation, Hindu traditions, and proper worship of the Goddess Kali. I requested mantra initiation…so there… I got “me mantra”! Thanks, George Harrison!

How to Be Consistent with the Mantra and Go Deeper

But it doesn't stop there. I just repeat a few words and call it a day?

The mantra is both name and form so when people receive initiation in Hinduism specifically, this mantra is oftentimes attached to an incarnation of God or Deity.

Thus we have both, the name and the form.

I have the name now….the mantra…but I had to start attaching it to the form of my chosen deity, which is called the Ishta.

Then I started the process of trying to figure it all out, and put it all together because this was all still so new to me.

Figuring Out How to Use the Mantra in Meditation

I had to start trying to figure out my meditation routine…do I watch the breath, for how long, when do I switch to the mantra, when do I switch to the form?

Do I drop the form and just repeat the mantra?

All of these things I had to figure out, with of course the help of my teachers, lots of study and reading, and lots of meditation practice.

I have written a detailed post here about mantra meditation that you can see the steps I use.

But as I have developed this blog and training materials, I have really had to reflect on how all of this started 20 years ago and why and how I have been able to meditate with consistent practice.

I meditate twice a day, every day, once in the morning and again before going to bed.

I can count the times I have skipped since starting and it is very few only when I have been super super sick or traveling.

I have had to figure out though how I have been able to do this…because you should know this... I am a very expressive artist, emotional at times, hyper, and oftentimes called a spaz:) I am a full time working momma of two boys and have my best friend/husband. I am super busy.

So I am not some calm yoga chick! Not by any stretch of the imagination! All this to say, if I can do it, you can do it!

The Mantra and the Ishta

How did I stick with a practice consistently? Quite frankly, I think that it is because of the mantra and Ishta relationship.

You see this relationship grows in your heart like no other relationship you have ever known.

And that is what makes the heart and the mind crave meditation over and over again. You want to go back to your meditation seat, you want to commune with your inner self.

Also, it’s important to mention that I incorporate a few other spiritual practices that I feel make meditation a bit “juicier”. Meaning when I sit down, I feel my meditation is stronger and more effective because of the additional practice that I do for meditation.

Additional Practices to Help Boost Your Meditation

Such as pooja (or puja). This is the practice of ritualistically worshipping your chosen deity. This is a very powerful practice and one that helps with all aspects of your spiritual practice.

It is very detailed, however, and should only be learned with proper guidance. I have learned from the main Swami and Pujari at Kali Mandir so I know firsthand how important it is to study with someone who is an expert, and more importantly, has pure character.

I also spend a lot of time with monks and Swamis and study and read, read, read. I go to several temples that are local and provide my services of singing spiritual music and other forms of volunteer work.

I have a community of friends who are yogis and spiritual aspirants. And SUPER helpful is my spiritual partner/husband- he is on the same path as I am and we meditate together. We have a spiritual life together.

All of these things really help strengthen the power of mediation.

Meditation is for All, Regardless of Which Technique you Choose

One more important note, I do not think everyone needs religion or God or an Ishta to meditate? Nope, I certainly do not!

That would be dogmatic and I absolutely have no tolerance for that. For me, all paths are the same! They are just called by various names and I have raised my children to believe the same thing.

This is just what worked for me. And I believe in my very core that anyone can meditate with any technique, secular, not secular, purely based on science, or with a Buddhist mantra, or a Christian mantra or a Hindu mantra or Suffi..or whatever. Or no mantra or whatever they want!

I believe the kind of meditation that works for you is the kind you should be doing…spiritual, not spiritual, just do it, just meditate because the benefits are soooooooooo amazing.

How to find the time as a Busy Person to Meditate

Children, jobs, relationships, and duties in life. We are all busy people. So we have to learn how to craft our life around this practice of meditation.

For me, the first situation to navigate was baby #1. I was much younger at this time and I was so inspired by the newfound meditation practice that I woke at 5 am and got an hour of practice in before he woke up.

When he turned a toddler, he was actually quite good at playing by himself but I usually just meditated while he was playing and he would come to peak his head in or come sit in my lap.

Baby #2 was a little different because I had been meditating for a good 7 years before he was born. So I remember having his bouncy seat beside me when he was a newborn so that I could meditate. I would nurse while I was meditating.

He, however, did not like to play by himself. So this is when I had a meditation closet, literally under the staircase my husband turned this into a meditation closet for me. This opened up to the living room, so as a toddler he always knew where mommy was during the hour of meditation.

He would just come in and out, sit on my lap, usually give a big adorable sigh and then get up and go on with his day. 5 minutes later he was back lol.

Of course, this was hard to concentrate, I had many days of children driving me nuts while trying to meditate but I just pushed through, because I knew it was good for them to always see mommy and daddy meditating.

Now that they are both teenagers, they still come and bug me out in my mediation she shed and I give them the look like really, you know what I’m doing, what do you need? or get in here and meditate with me.

Work and Family Schedules and Meditation

I have always worked full time, but I have worked from home for most of their lives so I still have always had to get up and meditate before we have to rush the boys out the door to school or start work.

My husband and I really have built our whole life schedule around our mediation schedule. Because…it is so worth it.

I truly believe it is ok, to have that time to meditate because I am a better person for my job, my family and myself.

I am a better version of myself for my children than I would have ever been without mediation so it’s ok that I’m not entertaining them 24/7. The education they have received from seeing both parents practice is what matters to our family.

Reaping The Benefits Of Meditation

When I first started meditating, I quickly started to notice some positive changes in my life.

My stress levels decreased dramatically, as did feelings of anxiety and depression.
But most importantly, I felt more connected with myself than ever before; like something had been unlocked inside me that had been dormant for years!
As time went by, I noticed that other areas of my life were changing too; from relationships with friends and family members to career opportunities – all because of this simple yet powerful practice called mediation.

Through regular practice with my mantra and tuning into different aspects of mindfulness such as loving-kindness and compassion for myself (and others!), my life has transformed beyond what words can describe.

Is life perfect now and I never experience trouble?? Absolutely not. However, while there are still good days mixed with bad days just like everyone else — there’s no denying that practicing meditation regularly has allowed me to experience more joy in each moment than ever before!

Trust, I would not continue this practice if I didn’t see what a life-changing difference it makes, today, every day, always.

Let’s Summarize How I Started my 20 Year Meditation Practice …and Counting

I did a lot of research, read a ton to find my first technique, and just did it whether I knew it worked or not.
I started with watching the breath technique.
I wanted to add more to help my restless mind. I found a Mantra.
The Mantra is tied to my Ishta -so I think of the form of my chosen Diety while repeating their name.
The focus of my meditation physically is in the Heart Center which is recommended by many over the breath and especially not focusing on the 3rd eye or crown chakra as this can lead to overheating the brain.
My meditation practice is and always will be non-negotiable. Even if I only have 5 minutes on busy work days, I still run in my meditation room and sit no matter what.
On weekends I always do a longer mediation on Saturdays and Sundays usually around 1.5 hours each.
Build your schedule for everything else in your life around fitting in your mediation practice.
I add in other spiritual practices such as singing spiritual songs, pooja, studying, reading, and service.
My children know that is the way it is, mommy will be meditating, and I’ll help you when I’m done.
I pray, I pray a lot and have frank conversations with my Ishta. When my mind is so restless from work or stress, I let my Ishta know about it.
Read read read, I read a lot of Vedanta and listen to lectures. This helps me deal with the mind. The endlessly chattering mind. It has helped me immensely over the years to look at the mind as an object and tell it to shut the crap up. See my post here where I talk about this.
When the mind is jacked up driving you nuts, I don’t care….JUST.KEEP.GOING.
Intoxication- I have heard my Guru describe spiritual practices as Roseate intoxication. You get up from a “good” meditation and you feel sublime and peaceful and the world just somehow looks different, momentarily. And this….is what keeps me going back again and again. “I drink no ordinary wine.” as the mystic poet Ramprasad says. Of course, Ramprasad was referring to something we can only aspire to, but the gist of it is that we can get something out of meditation that does feel intoxicating with joy.
Many regular meditators feel this. This is not of course the ultimate goal, we have to keep going but I look at this as a nice treat to keep us coming back for more!

Final Notes

It is so common now that everyone is talking about mindfulness and self-care — but when it comes down to actually doing it, we may find ourselves feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start from scratch like I once was!

If you’re interested in exploring the power of meditation but don’t know where to begin— start small with 5 minutes a day repeating a mantra of your choice — you may be surprised at how much progress you make over time!

With just 5-10 minutes a day you too could be well on your way to experiencing 9,000 hours (and counting) of inner peace and joy.

I am cheering you on.

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Looking for more resources? Visit my most read blogs and get tons of good info and tips

Much Love! Much Light!

I’m cheering you on in your spiritual quest!

Heather Hathaway, M.Ed.

How I Started a 9,000-Hour Meditation Practice and Counting