Don’t Miss Out On Meditation’s Benefits

Although meditation receives more emphasis in a kundalini yoga practice, it is an important element of all hatha yoga, and if you ignore it you are missing out on a unique opportunity to cultivate inner calm. And who doesn’t need some of that in a stress-filled world?

Six simple meditation strategies you can practice at home will be reinforced in a kundalini yoga practice:

-Sit still. Simply sit quietly in a comfortable position. Don’t answer the phone or make a list of things to do. It’s hard to sit for 10 minutes, and you will appreciate how restless the mind can be.

-Tune in. While sitting still, pay attention to the sensations in your immediate environment, such as feelings of hot or cold, and the hardness or softness of the surface on which you are sitting.

-Just breathe. Don’t try to control your breath, just pay attention to it, and note the quality of the inhales and exhales.

-Repeat a mantra. Come up with a favorite word, phrase, prayer, or poem to repeat softly to yourself several times.

-Listen up. Listen carefully to the sounds around you, wherever you happen to be taking time for meditation and stillness.

-Send love. While sitting quietly in a meditation, think of someone who could benefit from a little extra TLC and send good thoughts to that person.