Meditate? Looks easier said than done…
Meditating was never easy for me. Goddess willing if I could even lay still enough through a savasana ( corpse pose) after practicing yoga. Couple years ago, my Yoga practice consisted of 2 hours of asana(poses), without a savasana most of the time. So trying to get myself on the mat to sit still wasn’t really an option.
Well, it wasn’t until I faced my own battles with injuries and chronic pain that I realized I couldn’t practice as I once did. And that doing less was my lesson, not more. That’s when I found restorative Yoga, which changed my life forever. And then I found meditation.
It clicked for me when my wise and loving teacher and mentor once asked me, whats the point in having a limber and strong body if you’re mind is in turmoil? See if you can sit for 30 minutes and let your mind become still and this is the real practice of Yoga. Not whether you can get your leg over your head…
Hmmmnnnnn. Something shifted…and I knew that I had to train my mind if I wanted to overcome the suffering that I inherently accumulated and created.
So of course, I started meditating. Well let me tell you, it looks so much easier than done. Ha! Most people tell me that they just cant still their mind. If only they knew that that is only the first step. You just gotta sit with it. And not judge it, but just let it be. Watch the story unfold…without expectations and the longer you sit, something WILL happen. Naturally stillness invites peace and relaxation.
So my advice to those wanting to meditate:
*Just SIT!
*Sit even if its 5 minutes a day, but make sure to be consistent. Its better to do 2 or 5 minutes a day regularly to build your practice, rather than 30 minutes or 4 minutes on day sporadically.
* One thing I learned is to sit until you have reached one level of relaxation before you get up and going again.
*And if sitting just sucks, ha! Then Mantra, considered the best medicine for the mind. It gives focus and direction when there is too much going on in the head. A simple mantra to chant: Om as you inhale and exhale, or So as you inhale, Hum as you Exhale. I am that, that which is divine, and dont you forget it!!!!
Blessings on your journey towards Peace!!!!
Jennyogini
on the subject of meditation i like to share this excellent talk on mindfullness
http://www.mindful.org/Mindfulness%20and%20Awareness/ccare
Namaste.
Thanks Jenny for sharing. Yes it’s easier said than done … i practically have to prepare myself mentally during my waking hours before i could come to term with sitting down for a period of time, but once this becomes a part of you then it’s much easier, you will feel much more comfortable … only until then :-), but i think it’s totally worth it and it’s the best love i could give to myself, if i could stick with it 🙂
How is you blog what is on my mind??? I think this is like the third time its happened! Serendipity 🙂 Great post and thank you once again Jenny!
Love it Jenny!
I would probably try listening to some soothing music “youtube meditation music” and stretching or rolling around to let out some tension before sitting. Sometimes if I’m feeling really jittery, I’ll sit for a few minutes and then stretch and sit again. Also it’s important to know that you can meditate in a chair or in any position that the spine is vertical (no?). Great post, thanks!
Great ideas! Thanks for the extra tips!