The idea of sitting in silence with your thoughts can make meditation seem daunting. Like anything new, knowledge and application dissipates fear. The quietness and peace created by mediating even once a week can change and open another perspective not available in your daily routine. Learning meditation and yoga techniques is a lifelong personal practice that will encourage new patterns and lead to healthier choices, and you may be surprised to find a marked difference in mind stillness after trying meditation once.
Sitting Technique
Setting the body up to sit in comfort eases the mind. To sit for a period of time, the best technique is to provide the body with cushion and support. Use a few blankets, bolster, or couch pillow to elevate the sit bones which provides cushion. Come to a seated cross leg position and let the arms rest on the knees, or place the right hand in the left and let the arms rest down in front of you near the feet. Elevating the hips relieves strain from the back and sets the body up to sit in repose. Lift the spine and relax the shoulders.
Your Gaze
There are different gaze techniques for meditation, including eyes closed, eyes open, or eyes fixed on an object, like a candle flame or picture of a loved one. Beginners often find closing the eyes allows them to draw inwards and focus on the meditative practice. Eventually moving to a gaze softly resting on a point on the floor in front of you will make taking your meditative state into your everyday life seem like an easy transition. There is no right or wrong technique, and exploring the different variations will strengthen your individual meditation.
Breath Awareness
Meditation isn't goal oriented, but the object of meditation is to bring your awareness to your breath. Thoughts arise and sometimes become habitual, instead of placing judgment on the thoughts simply notice your tendency to drift from your awareness of your breath, label it "thinking" and return to your breath. By focusing on your breath, the meditation aim is to move you past the conditioned, habitual mind to the open, potential mind.
Mantras
Yoga classically incorporates mantras into the meditation process. A mantra is used to quiet the mind chatter and vibrates the entire being while keeping the mind actively engaged and removes the everyday thoughts the mind tends to return to. There are countless mantras. A beginner may start with a meditation technique combining awareness of breath with a breathing mantra 'so hum.' So hum is a contemplative meditation technique that translates to 'I am that,' 'that' being creation. Connecting the mantra with the breath focus during meditation opens the state of consciousness from constriction to expansion.
References
- "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga"; Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D.; 2004
- Yoga Journal, So Hum: Contemplation Meditation
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