Yoga Meditation Takes Much Practice To Perfect

In today’s online world, where everyone seems to be tweeting or updating their status every second of the day, the idea of simply sitting and clearing your mind of all the useless clutter in a quest for peace and clarity may seem strange. And, for some, impossible.


But clearing one's mind of the useless clutter and reaching a state of calmness and peace is the goal of yoga meditation. To accomplish this goal, the yoga student must learn to be in total control of their thoughts and mind. And while many people may think they currently possess this ability, attempting meditation for the first time may prove them wrong.

What anyone attempting meditation for the first (or even third or tenth time) should realize is that meditation doesn’t come easy. Despite the serenity it will eventually bring, teaching your mind to relax and clear itself is a process with important steps and milestones along the way. One of the most important of these steps is learning to breath. By learning to breath to achieve inner peace, a yoga student can take control of their "prana" or life force, possessing the ability to increase and decrease it at will to achieve a sense of balance that, in turn, eases the student into a meditative state.

The life force, or prana, moves throughout the body along channels known as “nadis”. There are three nadis: the sushumna, which flows along the spine, and the pinngala and ida, which each run on one side of the sushumma. Through these channels runs the prana, propelled along with breathing and the practitioner’s thoughts and emotions. The way you breathe controls the direction of the flow of prana and facilitates the process of meditation.

With that in mind, the first step in meditating in yoga is to become aware of yourself, of your body and your mind. Begin by lying on your back on the floor or a bed with your arms at your sides and your legs stretched out. Become aware of your surroundings, the way your body is reacting to them. Close your eyes and become aware of your body, your extremities and their weight. Let your body sink into the floor and feel the different parts of your body come in contact with the floor.

Next, become aware of your body from head to toe. Became aware of your body starting with your toes. Then move upwards along your legs, your knees, past your pelvis and on up to your back and shoulders. Feel your arms and hands, and move upward from their to your head. Become aware of any areas of tension, stress and discomfort. If you sense your muscles are tight in a particular area, make an effort to get them to relax.

Now focus on your spine, the area where the sushumma flows. Try to visualize the prana or life force flowing along the path. Feel it moving along your spine from the base to your head. Imagine it flowing freely, carrying away all of your tension.

If you sense that there is a blockage in an area, or the prana does not flow free, try to visualize the blockage being taken away. Lastly, become aware, once again, of your whole body and take note of the area that held tension or were significant to you for whatever reason. At this point, your breaths should be calm and slow. Notice how your breath is flowing in and out and notice whether it is smooth and relaxed or heavy and labored. Note whether you are breathing in an irregular pattern.

At this stage you should also take note of the thoughts in your mind. Hopefully, you mind should be at rest and clear, but if it is not, don’t worry. This does not mean you have failed at meditation, simply that you will have to practice more at meditation. Most people who attempt this for the first time find their thoughts are still turning to work or family issues. This is to be expected. After a while, you will be able to clear your mind and achieve a deeper level of meditation.

Become aware of the pattern of your heartbeat and how your body rises and falls with each breath. Each time, make a mental note of your emotions at the time and your state of mind. And conclude by becoming aware of your entire state: mind, body and spirit.

You may have to attempt meditation several time before you find that you can completely relax, but as we said, it takes practice. Schedule regular times to practice meditation and learn to listen to your body and mind to reach a level of peach and harmony.