Meditation: It's not just for Yogis

Meditation is a time to withdraw your attention from the external world and to become introverted. It happens as the result of the process of giving your full attention to an object of your choice.

In the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga the term for meditation is dhyana.

The 8 limbs are:

Samadhi-absorption

Dhyana-meditation

Dharana-focus

Pratyahara-sense withdrawal

Pranayama-breath control

Asana-posture

Niyama- ethical practices [internal]

Yama- ethical practices [external]

Meditation-dhyana follows the preceding 6 steps.

Meditation is not simply thinking, pondering, contemplating or daydreaming. It is a technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state.

In meditation, the mind is clear, relaxed, and inwardly focused. When you meditate, you are fully awake and alert, but your mind is not focused on the external world or on the events taking place around you.

The experience of meditation creates a mental spaciousness, tranquility and objectivity. With the absence of emotional attachment or preferences, the mind ceases to strive and becomes progressively more and more settled and quiet.

There is a loosening of tension and an overall sense of inner calm and relaxation that supersedes the impressions of the fleeting thoughts that arise and pass away.

Meditation is both therapeutic and enlightening. Upon googling “benefits of meditation,”

Here is a sampling of what is there:

• Reduces stress

• Improves concentration

• Encourages a healthy lifestyle

• Increases self-awareness

• Increases happiness

• Increases acceptance and compassion

• Slows aging

• Benefits cardiovascular and immune health

This is a kind of superficial yet impressive list. There are many, many more benefits. Promoting inner peace and spiritual growth come to mind. Feel free to add to this list from your own personal experience.

Meditation is a means for purifying the unhealthy rajas [greedy, insecure] and tamas [ignorant, negligent] imprints from the psyche. It thereby promotes healthy sattva [happiness, knowledge] imprints. Remember, these imprints–samskaras dictate our thoughts, emotions and behaviors!

The need for the benefits of meditation is not seasonal or sporadic – it is ongoing. Regular practice really is essential to living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Like anything else, the more you practice the more adept you become and the more you derive the benefits.

There are many meditation techniques out there. Radical Relaxation and Gita Chanting are both meditation practices. RR practice is considered a guided mediation, while Gita Chanting is a more active form of meditation and pranayama.

For more info on these specific meditation techniques and where to practice contact us.