How to meditate
Meditation is one of the hardest aspects of yoga, and for me, an integral part. There is a reason that corpse pose is considered one of the hardest pose in yoga, and it all has to do with the meditation part. There are many benefits to meditation including and not limited to: mental health, better able to cope with anxiety and stress, aligning yourself with the world mind, and, last but not least, being able to levitate in lotus pose (OK, that last one is just to be funny).
Contrary to popular belief, meditation does not have to be done sitting cross legged or in lotus pose. It can be done at any time, anywhere, in any pose that is comfortable to you. I routinely do it sitting propped up against the wall or lying down on my back.
The trick to meditation is to not think. Of course, that can be frustrating at times since the monkey mind loves to skip from thought to thought. Here are some tips and tricks that I use to try to meditate daily.
1. Be comfortable. Once you start your session, you want to try to not fidget or move around.
2. Start with a few minutes at a time before extending your sessions. I use a kitchen timer to notify me when my few minutes are up.
3. Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe through your nose, slowly and naturally, and concentrate on the breath entering and leaving your nostrils.
4. Don’t judge yourself. When you notice your monkey mind skipping from thought to thought, just re-set on the next breath and start noticing your breathing again.
5. Start with a few minutes every morning and see what a difference it makes in your day.
Eventually, you can start setting an intention right before your sit. The intention should be the last thought before the meditation session starts. This will help integrate your intention into your day. You’ll be surprised at how often your intention manifests into your day.
