Yoga helps me get into a better mind space to ‘meditate’. I use apostrophes because I’m not sure my mindful moments fully constitute traditional meditation. Yet.
Yoga is meditative for me. I concentrate on the movement and breath, and less so on the constant nattering voice inside my head.
I’ve noticed a few shifts as I practice mindfulness. These three tips might be helpful for anyone else out there wanting to meditate.
Avoid social media before practice
A morning practice is a great way to start my day, tuning in and really registering how I’m feeling and acknowledging it. The other day I woke up and checked out the weather. Before I knew it, I was on Instagram and being sold a cease fire in the middle east and bamboo pajamas. My thought bubble throughout my yoga practice became about the external world.
Meditation isn’t as heavy as you might think
Meditation doesn’t necessarily mean sitting there for hours not thinking. I believe that is very hard to do. The less I scold myself into submission, the easier it becomes to let it happen. When I catch a moment of just being, I do feel a little lighter. Meditation doesn’t need to be the heavy topic its reputation sometimes suggests.
Accepting discomfort
The more I acknowledge how I’m feeling, whether good or bad, the more I accept it. Instead of fighting a bad mood and falling into it, I let it be. I know it will pass. And simply by acknowledging it, it does pass. I now seem to go looking for discomfort to practise this – which somehow, subtly makes me feel stronger and stronger, little by little.
Do you have any tips to share?
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