Meditation, revisited

If you follow my instagram @thenycyogini, chances are you have noticed that I like to talk a lot about the importance of meditation.  Whenever I teach yoga, I like to provide a few minutes to sit quietly after savasana in a non-guided meditation, allowing the student time to sit quietly and observe the benefits of the practice.  Meditation is the one tool, when combined with your asana practice, that shifts your practice forward and inward, takes you out of your mind and brings you into your energy.

Whenever I teach meditation, I mostly see students that willingly sit quietly, without moving, embracing the peaceful time.  I also see that some students have their eyes open, impatiently looking at the clock or gazing outside of the room.  I see students who can't keep their hands still or move side to side on their seats.  I see students yawning.  Some students even leave.

These are all common reactions to meditation, and chances are, if you are into meditation, you have experienced all of these at one time or another.  Some days you are bored, some days you are fidgety, and some days you don't even try.  It's all fair. It's all about observing and being present in how you are approaching your meditation, without judging.

Starting a meditation practice at home

If you are interested in starting a meditation practice, a great way to start is just TO START. Setting aside 5 minutes a day to sit still and observe your breath is all you have to do. Committing to setting this time aside allows you to build the habit and start the "practice."

Begin by creating a meditation space in your home in which you can decorate with objects and photos that inspire you and remind you of people and places you love. Get candles, some flowers, incense. Make it special.   It can be anywhere in your home.

Some of the items in my meditation space include:

- A beautiful Buddha my old roommate and best friend left here when she moved to LA.
- A framed Star Wars drawing my oldest nephew made when he was 5 years old.  He is now 13.
- Stones, rocks and shells I have been collecting from beaches I visit.  I have rocks and shells from Indonesia, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica and from Montauk, Cape Cod and Cape May, to name a few,
- A post card my best friend Joanna Benevides sent me for my birthday 2 years ago that says "Shine on you crazy Diamond" and a tiny Buddha Head she gave me also.
- Incense my beautiful student and friend Lorena brought me from Thailand.
- A tiny wooden elephant my dad gave me 12 years ago.

Once you create your space, set an intention to meditate every single day.  Before coffee.  Or before sleeping (no caffeine in your system really helps).

Short meditations: 

- Gratitude meditation:  Take 5 minutes and go through as many things as possible that you are grateful for.  This is my favorite meditation. Spend extra time on things you are particularly more grateful for (for me, these are the health of my loved ones, the fact that I am awake and meditating, my room and my place, my classes, the ocean).  Get creative, you can be grateful about everything, and this practice will change your life.

- Breathing meditations:  Pranayama techniques can all be extremely meditative.  Ratio breathing, or Visamavttri pranayama is great, for the counting and holding the breath keeps you grounded and present.  This meditation is great if you are stressed and can't keep your focus.  

- Guided meditations:  The Internet and your phone have so many apps and videos for guided meditation. Although I prefer self-guided meditations (builds a better habit) guided meditations are great of you have a hard time committing to the meditation practice.

Books to read: 

-  Turning the Mind into an Ally,  by Sakyong Mipham
I was impressed by this book tremendously for it tackles the complexities of meditation.  Makes meditation accessible and yet enhances the experience.  

- Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, The Path to Insight Meditation, by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Korfield.
This book talks about all possible encounters to meditation, from painful knees to doubt and fear.

Lastly, if nothing works:

Take courses! In New York, we have amazing resources such as the  Shambala Meditation Center and the Three Jewels. If you are not in New York, most Yoga studios offer at least two meditation classes per week.  You can even get private instruction for meditation.  If you are serious about starting this practice, there are methods for everyone, all ages, and all styles.  So there is no excuses :)

Xo,

P

Meditation and Yoga Challenge, starts today

Meditation changes everything, it really really does.  I just don't find the time and my meditation practice is not as consistent as I would like.  In between random waking-up schedules, my boyfriend staying over (it's very hard to get up just to meditate), the cold weather, etc. etc.  It doesn't help that I have started drinking coffee since I have early clients and classes, and meditating after drinking coffee makes it a bust.

So, my plan is to meditate in the late afternoon, every day for the month of December.  This way, my caffeine boost is over, it will break my day, and soothe my evenings.  I will write my meditations everyday and journal it here.

Happy Friday!

Patricia  

Have you meditated today?

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I have been meditating every day as a requirement of the Conquering Lion Program.  Meditation is something that I have always wanted to do, and as Lama Kelly said "we don't do it because we know we have to" which is probably the only reason why I never did it.   Meditation calms the mind, clears our thought paths, creates a good habit, makes us more aware.  Yes, we should ALL be meditating.

I'd take part of the meditations offered in yoga class and really enjoyed them.  But sitting in meditation hurts my knees a lot and makes my entire lower body fall asleep to the point of pain.  This discomfort was so alien to me for I have been practicing yoga for years and have open in my hips.  I also rarely suffer from asana related knee issues.  Among the many other reasons why I didn't meditate daily, the discomfort was my main reason.

Here are some tricks to start your own meditation practice:

• Set up a comfortable space in your room or apartment.  Start by setting a table add some flowers, incense or anything that makes you feel like you would like to visit that space.  Pictures of loved ones, of the Dalai Lama, things that inspire you.    

• Set up your blankets in front of the table.   For me, this means A LOT of blankets and pillows under my sitting bone.  The hips need to be elevated above your knees so your knees rest of the floor.  I have also been putting blankets under my knees so they are not directly on the floor.  Try the seat a couple of times and make sure that you are going to be able to sit there for a while. 

• Light your incense (if you like it).  I find that lighting the incense in another area of the room works better for me so the smoke does not bother me.  I love the smell of incense. When I was in Bali, I woke up to the smell of incense every day for this is how the Balinese call the Gods.  I found this beautiful!  When I light incense, I feel like I'm waking up in Bali all over again.  May be for you, this is vanilla or lavender.  Something that soothes you and brings up a good mood.  

• Lastly, close your eyes and bring your attention to the tip of your nose.  And breathe, breathe, breathe.  Watch your breath as if you're watching the most interesting movie you've ever seen. 

• Start with 10 minutes and take it from there. 

There are many different types of meditations.  Find one that is appealing to you and take your time getting to know your meditation style.  Enjoy the clear mind!