Establishing a meditation practice

The effects of establishing a regular meditation practice can be felt in everyday life. Meditation can be in many forms, not just sat in silence. Taking a walk and enjoying nature, sitting on the beach and watching the waves or relaxing while listening to your favourite music - these are all forms of meditation and it’s important to find what works for you. I use various meditation techniques depending on how I’m feeling. Sometimes I follow a guided meditation online and other times I will sit in silence while the sun comes up or take a walk through the woods.

In yoga, we learn about Sthula Dhyana (meditation on objects, usually an image or statue of the divine), Jyoti Dhyana (meditation on a candle flame), Sukshma Dhyana (formless meditation) and Chakra Meditation (meditating on the energy wheels along the spine).

All of these have the common elements of tuning inwards, becoming more aware of the breath and finding a still and quiet mind. The importance is fitting it into daily life so it becomes a habit. Meditation, just like Pranayama; is a tool that we can use to help us rebalance in our often demanding and stressful lives. It’s a way to declutter the mind, giving yourself space to think clearly again. I implore you to try a few different meditation techniques and see what works for you. After all, stillness is the key to success.