A lot of my purchasers are shocked to be taught that yoga is as a lot about coaching the thoughts as it’s concerning the physique. Yogic meditation strategies, equivalent to Trataka, Kundalini, and Chakra Dhyana, are highly effective instruments for psychological transformation. These practices can improve your yoga journey and deepen self-awareness. Let me share my favourite strategies, and be happy to e-book a meditation lesson to discover them additional.
13 Yogic Meditation Methods
1. Meditation throughout asana observe
One of many easiest methods to start yogic meditation is to deliver conscious consciousness into your common yoga observe. As a substitute of treating asana as purely bodily train, you observe your breath, physique sensations, and ideas as you progress.
This transforms yoga from a exercise right into a meditative self-discipline and helps develop focus and physique consciousness on the identical time.
2. Nada Yoga
Nada Yoga is a type of sound meditation that makes use of each exterior sounds (like singing bowls or music) and inside sounds (nada) as objects of focus. It’s historically described as a path to deep absorption by listening.
- Begin enjoying some enjoyable therapeutic sounds, like a Tibetan singing bowl or some Kundalini Yoga music.
- Take a cushty place with good posture. The best means is whereas doing Shavasana. Lie on the bottom in your again. Make certain your backbone is comfy (place a blanket underneath the small of your backbone for additional consolation). Rotate your ankles out a bit of. Let your neck loosen up and elongate. Shut your eyes.
- Focus your thoughts on the sound of the music you’re listening to. Let your thoughts relaxation on the music. If ideas enter your thoughts, merely label them as you’d in Vipassana after which proceed meditating on the sound. Your thoughts will start to calm, and you’ll begin to really feel like you’re one with the music. Proceed to meditate on the music.
- As soon as you are feeling like you’re one with the music, start to tune in to your internal sound. Hearken to the sounds of your thoughts and physique. Meditate on them. Intention to be one with them. Maintain meditating in your internal sound till you hear the last word sound that’s “Para Nada”, the common sound manifesting in “Om”.
If you want to be taught extra about nada yoga I extremely advocate the e-book The Legislation of Consideration, Nada yoga and the Method of Internal Vigilance by Michael Edward Salim.
3. Mantras
Mantras are throughout faith and spirituality. And they’re a yogic observe too. Certainly, some individuals suppose mantras began in yoga, however that is positively not the case.
Mantras are most prevalent in Kundalini Yoga, from which we get the favored mantras “Sa Ta Na Ma” and “Wahe Guru.”
Deepak Chopra [founder, The Chopra Center] states that “mantras function a automobile for the thoughts to transition from variety to unity”. Once you focus your entire consciousness on a mantra you obtain unification of the thoughts.
4. Chakra Dhyana
Chakra Dhyana is a meditation observe that focuses consideration on the physique’s power centres, or chakras. In yogic philosophy, these centres regulate the move of prana, or life power.
By visualising or concentrating on every chakra in sequence, practitioners purpose to domesticate steadiness, emotional stability, and psychological readability.
5. Third Eye (Ajna Chakra)
Third Eye Meditation is a specialised type of chakra meditation that focuses on the Ajna chakra, positioned between the eyebrows. In yogic traditions, this centre is related to instinct, perception, and psychological readability.
The observe typically includes Shambhavi Mudra (light eyebrow gazing) mixed with breath consciousness or mantra repetition.
Right here’s the best way to do Third Eye Meditation.
6. Trataka (“Nonetheless Gazing”)
This is among the finest meditations in yoga for cultivating inner-stillness and focus, in keeping with the Journal of Conventional and Complementary Medication [source]. And in keeping with Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh [Dynamics of Meditation] it opens the thoughts to psychic powers.
Right here’s the best way to do Trataka:
- Place a lit candle on a desk or shrine a couple of metre or so in entrance of you. Sit shut, however, you already know, don’t burn your face on the candle.
- Repair your gaze on the candle
- Meditate on the flame of the candle.
- Maintain your gaze nonetheless and proceed to meditate on the flame. Take 25 breaths
- Now shut your eyes. You will notice the candle in your thoughts’s eye.
- Meditate on the psychological picture of the candle for one more 25 breaths.
After I observe Trataka I’m instantly extra in a position to focus.
Observe that we train this technique in our company meditation courses.
7. Bhakti
Bhakti meditation is a devotional observe through which consideration is directed towards a selected deity, non secular trainer, or sacred image. The objective is to domesticate love, give up, and a way of reference to one thing higher than oneself.
Practitioners might use chanting, visualisation, or prayer as focal factors throughout meditation.
8. Dhyana Yoga (Jnana)
Dhyana is the classical yogic time period for meditation itself and refers to sustained, uninterrupted focus. It is among the closing levels in Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga.
By way of common observe, Dhyana results in deep stillness and ultimately to Samadhi, a state of full psychological absorption.
9. Kundalini
Oh boy. Kundalini meditation.
Everybody likes tossing out the phrase “Kundalini” prefer it had been this yr’s must-have vogue merchandise. So, what’s kundalini meditation? It’s a yoga meditation delivered to the West by Yogi Bhajan. We use it to awaken kundalini power (highly effective female power dormant on the base of the backbone). Based on Om Swami [Kundalini: An Untold Story], this power represents the divine female power of the goddess.
10. Kriya Yoga
Kriya yoga is a group of meditative workouts taught by Indian yogi guru Paramahamsa Yogananda. It consists of completely different ranges of pranayama, mantra, and mudra practices. These are stated to assist non secular growth in keeping with Timothy Miller, writer of the e-book America’s Different Religions.
Yogananda acknowledged that the Kriya Yogi is devoted to “directing life to the six centres of the backbone that relate to the zodiac.”
For an instance, learn my information to Kirtan Kriya Meditation.
11. Tantra:
Tantric meditation consists of a variety of practices designed to develop consciousness by working with breath, visualisation, mantra, and bodily consciousness. Whereas widespread tradition typically focuses on the sexual facets of Tantra, conventional texts describe many non-sexual meditative strategies geared toward non secular awakening and integration of thoughts and physique.
12. Pratyahara
Pratyahara a yogic thoughts coaching system that includes closing off exterior stimuli to guard your thoughts. Based on Patanjali, Prathyahara is “Withdrawal from the senses”. It’s about eradicating destructive affect out of your life. To be taught extra, learn my in-depth information to Pratyahara yoga.
13: Samyama
Samyama meditation is the deepest and most profound of all yoga meditations. That’s why I wrote a whole information to it. Click on the earlier hyperlink to be taught all about it.
Abstract
Yogic meditation is a various system that features breath consciousness, mantra repetition, visualisation, devotional practices, and deep states of focus. Every method works with a special side of the thoughts and nervous system, which is why completely different individuals reply to completely different strategies.
For those who’re new to yogic meditation, begin with less complicated practices like breath consciousness, mantra, or meditation throughout asana. Extra superior strategies equivalent to Kundalini, Tantra, and Samyama are finest explored regularly and, ideally, with steering.
If you want to discover these practices in a structured means, you possibly can e-book an internet meditation lesson with me and I’ll aid you select the strategies that finest fit your targets and expertise degree.
Paul Harrison is a meditation trainer with 25 years of expertise and a deep ardour for serving to others. Recognized for his empathy and genuine method, he’s devoted to guiding people and groups towards mindfulness, readability, and well-being.
