THE HEART OF YOGA

Calm. Relaxed. Joyful.

Deepen your relationship with yourself

Meditation is the Heart of Yoga Practice

All yoga practices help us develop the ability to bring stillness to our inner world and silence to our minds.

A simple definition of meditation is: “Meditation is being with what is.” In meditation, we take time to do two things:

meet ourselves where we are, right here and now
meet ourselves just as we are

Obviously, the attitude we have when we approach any activity will influence how we feel and how the activity will unfold. So, if instead of seeing meditation as a chore, we choose to see the practice as establishing an intimate relationship with ourselves, we may be more likely to enjoy it. This is key to establish consistency, because it is easier to practice something that we find enjoyable

Create an Effective and Enjoyable Practice

Often when we try to practice meditation, we may find it frustrating to notice that the voices in our head cannot seem to stop. Another frequent challenge arises when we notice how often we get distracted. Noticing our internal chatter and that we are getting distracted are already signs that show that we can witness these activities from a different vantage point instead of allowing them to derail us. This is a sign that our meditation is working because we can separate ourselves from the habitual activities of our mind. I would suggest savoring that as we return to our focal point.

5 Useful Tips for Success in Meditation

Find a comfortable position
Choose a focal point
RELAX
Let go off any and all judgement
Persist with gentle curiosity

Introduction to Meditation – 5 minutes

Free Guided Meditation

Free meditation resources

Enjoy these guided meditations

Moving Meditation:
Dance of Shiva (Shiva Nata)

The Dance of Shiva is a form of moving meditation rescued by Ukranian Yoga Teacher Andrey Lappa. The practice starts with two basic patterns, horizontal and vertical. Each pattern consists of 4 simple arm positions. In the Dance of Shiva, the practitioner moves the arms between these four basic positions. Although it sounds quite simple, it is astounding how complex the practice can become.

This practice is very helpful in cultivating:

Attention, Concentration & Focus
Coordination
Expanded mental processing capacity
New mental and emotional patterns that can contribute to remove old habits and patterns that are no longer useful

Free Dance of Shiva Practices

Practice Regularly