Meditation for Everyday People| Stress Relief |

“There is a rhythm in the breath….and this rhythm is connected to the rhythm in the world, the rhythm in nature, the rhythm in the body, the rhythm of one’s thoughts and the rhythm of one’s emotions.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Picture a monk sitting in an uncomfortable posture, on an isolated mountaintop, a smile on his face to disguise the pain, chanting some strange mantra, while supposedly in deep meditation. This is the way many of us think about the practice of meditation and this picture contributes to the belief that meditation doesn’t fit into our complex, fast paced, modern lives.

This is far from the truth. What we typically think of as “The practice of meditation” is actually the practice of learning to skillfully quiet and focus the mind;  a valuable skill in in our fast paced daily life. When the mind is quiet and focused meditation may happen. Meditation is a happening, not a doing.

Benefits of Meditation

The practice of quieting the mind is a tool that can help us manage stress, improve our physical health, and manage chronic pain. It can help us sleep better, feel happier, be more peaceful, as well as be more present. On a deeper level meditation is a spiritual practice that can help access deeper levels of the soul leading to a deeper more grounded sense of who you are in a spiritual sense.

Practice

To began find a comfortable position.  Although we commonly associate meditation practice with sitting cross legged on a cushion, there are many ways to sit. it’s important to sit with the back straight , in a position that is comfortable for the period of time you intend to sit. Here’s a link to an article by Rodney Yee describing sitting postures

It’s also important to have a place in your home where you practice. You may have a special chair, maybe a altar with things that have meaning to you. You can train your family that this is your special place to meditate.

Select a convenient time to practice that you can commit to. It may be in the morning or before bed but form the intent to practice regularly. It’s better to practice 10 minutes a day for six days then to practice for 1 hour one day.

A common way to  begin this practice is to gently focus on the breath. You can practice with your eyes open or closed, though in the beginning it may be easier to have them closed. Begin practicing by focussing on your breath. Watch the inflow and outflow of your breath without attempting to control it in any way. Many of my students find this difficult in the beginning. Just by paying attention to the breath you naturally try to control it. Watching the breath without control, just watching, comes with practice.

You may find that your breathing changes based on whats happening in your mind and body. It may get faster or slower, deeper or shallower, it may even pause for a time. Watch the changes without resistance or anticipation. Whenever your attention drifts away from your breath to thoughts in the mind, a sensation in the body, or noise in the environment, gently return to your focus on the breath.

Avoid the use of a mantra. The purpose of this practice is to maintain sharp awareness and a mantra dulls the mind. You can “note” the breath moving in and out using “So-Hum”. As you inhale the sound of that vibration is “So”. As you exhale the vibration becomes “Hum”. I’ve included a U-Tube video describing the “So-Hum” breathing technique.

Focus on where your breath comes from. With your eyes closed, inhale and think the word “so”; on the exhale, think the word “hum.” Gradually both the breath and the sound will become quieter and quieter and quieter, and the breath becomes so quiet that it almost seems to stop. By quieting your breath, you quiet your mind. When you transcend, “so-hum” entirely disappears, and your breath pauses momentarily, when the breath continues it is light and transparent.