YOGA MEDITATION
Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means union with the cosmos or divine energy. It involves various stretching exercises, and it has been around for thousands of years. Well, by now you know the history of yoga and the multiple benefits it offers.
If you want to practice yoga meditation, there are three steps that you have to follow. The first step is to create an environment that’s conducive for mediation. The second step is to perform the basic poses. The third step is to focus on your mind and soul.
Create a meditation spot
The first step is to create a quiet environment. Select a place that is free of clutter and loud noises. You should feel comfortable if you want to practice yoga or meditation. If the spot is too noisy, then you cannot concentrate, especially if you are a beginner. An ideal location should be devoid of all electronic gadgets. Or find a place where you can block all the external sounds. It will be helpful if you can find a room where natural light filters in through the windows. If not, the lighting should be soft and not too harsh. Flickering lights are obviously a distraction, aren’t they? Select a room with some natural heat, light, and air. It is not just the sounds that are a distraction; even machinery can be quite uncomfortable.
If you cannot do yoga or meditate in the open, find a place that has some radiant heat. Create cross ventilation by opening a door or a window. Let some fresh air into the room. If your tummy is full, you will relax too much, and it will make you drowsy. At the same time, if your yoga or meditation session is too close to mealtime, your hunger pangs can be quite distracting. Perhaps you can practice meditation a couple of hours before your mealtime, or a couple of hours after your meal. If not, you can always have a light snack before you start to meditate. It is essential to provide your body with the necessary sustenance to keep it functioning. Before you begin to meditate or perform yoga, you should do some light stretching or warm-up exercises. Warm up exercises will get the blood pumping in your body and will make you feel relaxed. Not just that, your concentration will also improve while you meditate. If your body feels limber, then you can sit for longer. Concentrate on your back and your core for a couple of minutes. Simple twists and bends will do the trick. You can practice Sukshma yoga before you meditate. For sukshma yoga, you have to gently squeeze your eyebrows a couple of times using your fingers. Roll your eyes a couple of times. Then rub your jawline as well as your temples to relax your facial muscles. Grab your ears and slowly tug them downwards.
Perform meditative poses
For starters, sit upright. You can rest on any surface you want, as long as it allows you to sit correctly. You can sit on the floor or the chair. Don’t make your body rigid and let it be limber. Sitting cross-legged while you meditate is quite common. However, that’s not the only way to relax. You can alternate the leg that rests on top while you meditate. Being comfortable is the main point. For better spinal alignment, you can gently tug on your chin.
Once you find a comfortable spot for yourself and have settled in, the next step is to follow the techniques of deep breathing. Focus on your breath and nothing else. You can just count the number of times you inhale and exhale through your nose. Or you can even perform nadi shodan. Nadi shodan is a technique of pranayama. Lift your right hand so that your thumb, little finger and ring finger are pointing outwards while the rest curl inwards. To close your right nostril, place your thumb gently on it and inhale through the left one. Once you inhale, you have to close the left nostril with your ring and little finger. Only after you close your left nostril, you can exhale through the right one. After you exhale through the right nostril, inhale through the same one. To exhale, you have to close the right nostril and let go of your breath through the left one. Once you do this with your right nostril, repeat the same steps with your left nostril.
Another breathing exercise that you can practice for meditating is to perform Samasthiti. The pose of Samasthiti is quite similar to the pose of an army person standing at attention. You have to be mindful of your balance and steadiness. Once you stand at attention, join your palms together (like you would when you pray). Breathe in slowly and raise your hands over your head. When you start to exhale, return your hands to your chest. Do this exercise for two minutes to calm your mind.
The next exercise that you can do is to perform the cow pose. Get on all fours and place your palms under your shoulders to support yourself. Breathe in deeply and raise your head along with your upper torso. While you elevate your upper body, lower your spine slowly towards the floor. You are mostly pushing your spine closer to your stomach. Complete this position by returning to a perfectly aligned back while you exhale.
The next asana you can perform to meditate is Vajrasana. To perform Vajrasana, you have to assume a sitting position. Once you do that, place your hands on the side and move your left foot so that it is in contact with your left buttock. Repeat the same with your right foot. Once you do this, you will be in a squatting position. You can lean forward and shift your body weight onto your knees. Lean backward into the space available between your heels. Breathe like you usually do for a couple of minutes. At the end of this pose, your toes should be touching one another. Make sure that you keep your core coiled to encourage better posture. Your body should be upright while you perform this pose.
The last meditative yoga exercise you can perform is the ujjayi breathing. Ujjayi breath is a long and smooth breath. It will not only calm you down but will make you feel quite energetic as well. You have to sit cross-legged on the floor. Try to relax your body and mind. Imagine that you are taking in deep and slow breaths (like breathing through a straw). Now exhale slowly (through the same imaginary straw). Make your breathing as slow and deliberate as you possibly can.
Focus on your body, mind, and soul
Forget about all the distractions. Don’t think about any of your daily stresses and worries. The first step of meditation yoga is to embrace all the different things that go on in your life. Acknowledge all the chaos that you feel. You cannot only ignore your worries. Instead, embrace them and accept it all. After all, you are just a human being and worries are a significant part of human nature. Only when you recognize all the distractions, can you move beyond them and focus on yourself. Instead, concentrate on your body. Focus your attention inwards, towards the base of your spine. Focus your attention on the center of your body, to your spinal column and all the different parts of your body. Take stock of all the different parts of your body and all your different senses. Acknowledge all that you feel and think. Think about how your body functions and how each of the different parts functions like a well-oiled machine. Notice if you feel any pain or discomfort. If you want to reach a higher level of concentration while you meditate, you should will your mind to become silent. You have to set your mind at ease, and you can do so by concentrating on your breathing. If you want to become aware of your mind, then you should follow the four functions of the mind. The four functions of the mind are to observe, accept, understand, and train. You have to see all the impressions present in your mind like ego, judgments, or any prejudices. The next step is to accept all the observations you have without being critical of them. Forget about whether a particular observation is good or bad, and don’t berate yourself for it. The next step is to understand your thought process. The way your mind functions and discerns things. The final step is to train your mind. You need to realize that you are in complete control of your mind and it isn’t the other way around. You should train your consciousness.
Once you do this, the next step is to focus on a single object. If you have just started with meditation, during the initial phases, it might be difficult for you to concentrate fully. It is quite likely that your attention will lapse. Whenever you feel like your attention sways, you should redirect it towards a specific object. Try to focus on a single item. Like a piece of floorboard, a spot on the wall, or even a stationary object. At the end of your meditation session, you should bring your mind to attention. Take charge of your mind and be aware of all the small changes in your body. You can lightly ball your fists for a couple of minutes. Alternatively, you can even flex the muscles in your calf. A simple way to focus on your muscles is by smiling.