Meditation

Benefits Of Meditation

Just 10 minutes of daily meditation has many proven health benefits including:

• Reducing anxiety
• Reducing stress
• Relieving mild depression
• Reducing blood pressure
• Relieving back and muscle pain

When to Meditate

Any time is a good time to meditate.  You may find setting aside a specific period of time works best for you or just taking a break when you feel the need to relieve stress or anxiety.

If you are trying to work meditation into a busy schedule, you can set a timer to let you know when your allotted time is up to avoid the distraction of watching the clock.

Ways to Meditate

There are as many ways to meditate as there are styles of yoga. The best way to determine which style of meditation is right for you is to try several styles until you find one that meets your needs.  Let your body and mind be your guide.

The first step in meditation is to focus clearly on a specific object or sensation with your eyes open or closed. You can repeat a word or phrase (mantra), visualize a place, object, or deity, or concentrate on your breath and experience it slowly entering and exiting your body.

Where to Meditate

Unless you are a long-time yoga practitioner who can easily block out distracting sounds and visuals, it is best to find a comfortable, quiet room, or close windows and door to allow yourself uninterrupted time to meditate.  To deepen your meditation experience try meditating on a bus, train, or plane.  Mentally block out the sights and sounds by concentrating on your breath, repeating a mantra, or just delving within your being.  With practice, anyplace can ultimately be a good place to meditate.

Positions for Meditation

The classical position for meditation is sitting on the floor in lotus pose. Yoga asanas (poses) were developed to prepare the body for long periods of sitting and meditating.

Sitting poses allow the mediator to sit comfortably for relatively long periods. If you are uncomfortable sitting in lotus pose for 10 or more minutes), you have other options including sitting in a chair or even lying down.

Using mudras (hand gestures) is option. Common mudras are shown below.

In addition to lotus pose, two other asanas you can try when meditating are easy sitting (sukhasana) and half lotus (ardha padmasana).

Daily meditation complements your asana and pranayama practice. Just 10 minutes of daily meditation can bring positive changes in your clarity and peace of mind.