~ what is meditation?
There are many different definitions, but at its core, meditation is all about mindful awareness. In the Insight Meditation workbook, Sharon Salzberg states: “The entire purpose of meditation practice is to learn how to harness, refine, and sensitize this quite incredible power of awareness.”
By concentrating and cultivating a sense of mindfulness around the present moment, we begin to connect with what is actually happening without our thoughts and habits covering the lens. Meditation helps us to deepen our attention and brings us back to our own unique wisdom.
~ meditation poses
You can meditate in any shape or position that feels comfortable to your body. In fact, yoga asanas (yoga poses or yoga postures) are designed to prepare your body for long periods of seated meditation. Some options include:
- sit in a chair, on a pillow, or directly on the floor with legs crossed or extended
- try a walking meditation if sitting isn’t comfortable
- lie down in savasana if you can stay awake
- meditate in a gentle restorative yoga pose
~ how to meditate
Just as there are many different definitions of the word meditation, there are many different ways to meditate.
1. Guided Meditation
Helpful for beginners, a guided meditation will verbally walk you through the meditation process. These meditations are perfect if you’re just starting out, if you’re having difficulty focusing, or if you’re looking for new meditation techniques. Practices include:
- focus on your breath
- affirmation or mantra repetition
- visualizations
2. Mental Noting
During your practice of meditation, your mind will wander, body sensations will rise, emotions may come up, and more. You’ll notice alot happening when you become still.
One way to cultivate concentration is mental noting — the act of naming the thought, sensation, or emotion and coming back to your breath. As you notice something come up, acknowledge it and note what it is, then direct your awareness back to your breath.
3. Loving Kindness
In this style of meditation, you repeat a few phrases over and over to different people in your life. Starting with yourself, you state the phrases —
may I be happy
may I be healthy
may I be safe
may I live with ease
— 3-5 times. After yourself, focus your awareness on a cherished loved one and state the same phrases to them. Next, focus on a neutral person, someone you neither love deeply nor find difficult. Next, focus on a person you find difficult and repeat the phrases 3-5 times. Finally, focus on all beings everywhere and repeat the phrases for our whole world.
~ meditation benefits + more
The benefits of meditation are truly innumerable — they include:
- increased concentration
- less reactivity
- deeper breathing
- a calm and focused mind
- relaxed muscles
- deeper awareness of the moment
This guide serves as a very brief introduction into what meditation is and the different ways you might practice it.
The following video will guide you through a meditation focused on your breath. I hope you enjoy!