The essence of meditation
What exactly is the essence of the state of meditation, that is seen as opposite for feeling stressed and out of balance? A state that is often referred to the common human goal: happiness and bliss.
Meditation gives us access to something we humans have lost contact with as we have become more and more entangled in the complexity of the analytical mind. All conscious mental activity is just a tool we use to make decisions and solve problems, and then we should ideally let go of that tool. When we are not able to lay the tool aside, outcome is an inner turmoil and stress.
What does meditation do for you?
The byproduct of meditation, is a state of peace, quiet and calmness. What makes meditation, is the presence of recognising of your awareness. It is about first recognising the ongoing, noisy and evident thought flow and then freeing yourself from it. It is not about forcing the thoughts away, but gently letting them pass by without grasping. Even if you don’t experience peace or calm, but if you have the presence of awareness without reacting to the turmoil in your body-mind, you are in meditation.
Meditation can bring a realisation, that there is no such thing where you can control the body-mind. All is happening on its own. There is no such thing as “I” in what we see, smell, taste, hear and feel. It helps us to detach from the sense of self that arises from the external environment, from the body and from the activities of the mind. Slowly you narrow down the sense of self. Thus, we liberate ourselves from the self-grasping bondage and expand from what we are identified with.
Patience and continuous practice
Being in the present without expectations – and giving up without reservation sounds very simple, but it may actually be very difficult at the start. There is nothing that needs to be done and no one who is doing it – basically it is about allowing yourself to consider the fluctuations of the body-mind without reacting, without any specific purpose. This can be challenging for the modern mind, that is trained to be effective. Patient, constant daily practice will bring the best results in anything what we do, also in meditation.
How to do meditation at home
All you need is a quiet, specific place at your home that you use daily for your meditation. Sit on a cushion in a cross-legged position hips higher than your knees, or if that doesn’t feel good, you can always sit on heels or on a chair, as long as your body is upright in a relaxed way. Close your eyes, be aware of the weight and form of the body in a still position. Be aware of the calm and firm breath passing through the nostrils. Recognise the sensations are all feelings of pleasure or discomfort. Your awareness of these sensations is the aspect of the sense of self. Who is experiencing this? Who is aware? Stay with sensing and being aware and let the body be an anchor to keep the mind from floating away. If you feel that your thoughts are wandering, it’s all natural. Just guide your loving attention back to realising the ever-existing presence of awareness.
Meditation at One Yoga
At One Yoga, we immerse ourselves in daily meditation classes, offering different techniques from grounded concentration practices to more active meditations, to find different gateways to stabilise and harmonise the mind towards the stillness. Our meditations are a breath of fresh air in the midst of everyday action and wavering, and you get a change to start knowing and experiencing your real existence. This will bring moment to moment awareness and mindfulness to your everyday life, and you will naturally start feeling the deeper connectivity to all that is. To break your old habits and reprogram yourself for everyday kindness and living the intelligence of your heart.
If you have questions or would like to know more, please feel free to contact us.
