Almost everybody heard of meditation and many have been doing it for years, enjoying its amazing benefits. Some of you though, are like me, quiet hesitant to try and discover it and feel like this is a “not for you”! In today’s busy and stressful world, with many items on your “to do lists”, always multi-tasking and rushing from one place to another, we tend to forget about our own self, real desires and the purpose of our lives. The accumulation of so much information and the stress makes the mind too noisy, loss of memories and issues with willpower, patience and inner peace.
How to Start Meditation Well?
Meditation is simply about concentrating and being able to focus the attention to one point. You might think that it is very easy yet being able to sit or even lie down still and focusing on one point is such a challenge for many of us. However as my teacher Sanjeev Bhanot says, “everybody needs to do 1 hour of mediation everyday and if you are very busy then you need to do 2 hours”. During the meditation you reach to a place of “no thoughts”, a bit like a “gap” in the mind. And like everything in life, the mind needs that gap to recharge and re-energize itself.
“Meditation is an essential part of the yoga tradition…. Through meditation, the mind becomes silent, the illusory impressions fall away and the truth of our being naturally rises to the surface of the consciousness.” (Yogalife, Yoga Teacher Training Manual 2017).
Thousand of years ago meditation was identified as the path to ultimate enlightenment and those yogis who could stay in meditation for long looong periods (along side with other abilities), could reach the “Samadhi” the ultimate enlightenment. These developed meditation techniques take the practitioners to a higher state of awareness and a state of no-thought in order to gain spiritual mastery and intimacy with the Self.
Meditation Can Help You
You don’t have to go that far, lets start with 5 minutes!! But first, as I know we modern humans need some justifications and solid reasons to motivate ourselves, let me give you a few that helped me:
- Increase your concentration in your daily life which many of us suffer
- Support willpower that can help you in your weight loss, healthier living, quit smoking, etc efforts
- Increase your patience, to deal with everyday issues especially with your children or at work!
- Reduction of stress, improved focus and memory
- Achieve emotional balance and happiness
- Regular practice strengthens the immune system, helps you to build strength against ageing and diseases
If these are good enough reasons for you too, then lets start!
How to Start with Meditation?
There are many different techniques of meditation each with a different approach but with more or less the same result. You need to find the one that suits your character and background. It is advised to stick with that method until you really master it rather than changing it frequently. One very easy start is using the application for meditation. I have been using Headspace for while and very happy about the style-tone and techniques. It helps you to follow progress, choose different themes like stress, focus, creativity, sleep, etc. I also use the kids section for my 10 year old son for sleep. There are other applications like Calm. So please go ahead and explore it if you want to be guided at first. I think it is a good idea for beginners.
Join Our Upcoming 6-Weeks Meditation Discovery Course!
A course for beginners and for those who would like to re-initiate a regular meditation practice!
In this course; Ceylan and Anne will alternate giving the meditation sessions on Zoom at 7h30 Monday mornings for 6 weeks. Kickstart your Monday mornings with our meditation session and practice the technique throughout your week.
All sessions will begin with a 1-minute breath work. No need to show yourself on camera on Zoom, come as you are in the morning!!!
Click to sign up now: Meditation Discovery Course
Course Modules & Schedule
- 1 November 2021: GAP Meditation ✦ Ceylan
Learn how to stay in the “gap” between the thoughts, where your mind rests and you can reach your true being. The purpose of this exercise is to shift outward direction to inward reflection, so that we can experience the essential nature of awareness itself.
- 8 November 2021: Trataka with candle ✦ Anne
Trataka meditation, also known as a tratak sadhana or candle-gazing meditation, is a meditation technique in which the practitioner centers his/her focus on a single visual point, usually a candle light. The idea is to allow the gaze to soften and rest gently on this point, so that the mind can relax. The eyes are also cleansed with this practice.
- 15 November 2021: Intentions Setting Meditation ✦ Ceylan
Set your intentions for your day, week, month..to become more focused and create clearer thoughts throughout your day and life.
- 22 November 2021: Mindfulness Meditation ✦ Anne
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
- 29 November 2021: Chakra Meditation ✦ Ceylan
Chakras are the energy centers combining our physical bodies, mental thoughts and emotions. In yoga there are 7 main centers and each has an important role in our lives. By focusing on chakras we can direct our energies to the areas where we feel depleted or in excess and bring balance to our body, mind and spirit.
- 6 December 2021: Power Mantra Meditation ✦ Anne
Creating your own mantra can bring power to your meditation. We will spend 5 minutes on the creation of your personal mantra, one that speaks only to you and your life situation right now. Then, using the breath, we will practice a mantra meditation.
