Meditation is an important part of yoga. In fact, in classical Yoga, the physical postures were simply a way of preparing the mind and body to be seated for long periods of inner stillness.
In our modern, busy lives, inner stillness is something we find very difficult to achieve. 'Switching off' our thoughts seems virtually impossible. Students often tell me they find it very hard to quieten their mind during our meditation sessions. Many people arrive at yoga class straight from work, where of course their minds have been very active, often under considerable stress. I encourage students to leave their thoughts and worries at the door as they enter the studio (they can pick them up again as they leave, but hopefully they'll be lighter then!) It's important to enter yoga practice with a certain dedication. Your yoga time is precious. Vow to yourself to focus on your practice and try not to get distracted.
To begin, sit comfortably in an upright position on your mat or cushion. Try to relax the hips down into the earth, and feel grounded and stable at your base. Then allow the spine to naturally lengthen, the head floats gently upward, relax the shoulders and arms and start to breath deeply and rhythmically. Lightly close the eyes and relax the muscles of the face. Watch the breath as it enters the body, through the nostrils and travels down deep into the lungs. Feel the torso expanding and contracting with the breath. Notice the brief natural pause that occurs between inhalations and exhalations. Try to watch what is happening as if from a neutral observers point of view. Don't make any judgements. If any thoughts or emotions arise, acknowledge their presence but allow them to slip away and gently guide your awareness back to your breath. This will probably happen again and again, but with practice and patience the periods when the attention sits lightly at the breath without distraction or interuption will gradually become longer and longer. In this way, you will start to cultivate a deep sense of inner peace and you will have created yourself a refuge from life's turmoil.
