Getting Started

This website has a series of exercises that were made through a collaboration between rheumatologists and mindfulness experts at Johns Hopkins.

When getting started, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• We recommend daily practice with one or two meditations at a time. The goal of this program is to give you a tool that you can use during times of increased stress. However, only learning and practicing mindfulness when you are feeling stressed can be hard. So, we recommend practicing mindfulness even if you are feeling calm.  
• Sometimes it is easiest to schedule a time to meditate. This can help to keep you on track.
• Find a quiet environment, free of distractions.
• You should set an intention to stay alert and present. We suggest sitting upright in a chair or bed to avoid falling asleep. However, it is ok to lie down to meditate if that is more comfortable.
• Each meditation will begin with a chime. We will talk you through a series of concepts that should help you manage your stress. The concepts should also help you stay in the present moment. The meditation will then end with a chime.
• We suggest starting with our introduction video on deep breathing. Thinking about the breath and using it to slow you down is a key concept in mindfulness.
• Finally, we encourage you to discuss your mental health with your rheumatologist. This is especially important if you are not doing well.