Week 42 : Theory and Yoga Tips 

I felt that we should take a break from all our strong physical asana and have a more in-depth look at mediation (or contemplation), which is an intrinsic part of any yoga practice. 

Today I’m going to share with you some theory and some tips to get you started. 

You can practice meditation both as part of your yoga routine, but also on its own and my best advice is to approach this area with an open mind, and without attachment to outcomes. Meditation takes practice and still you may not “achieve” any of those mythical feelings, you think you should be experiencing! 

The Theory of Meditation: 

The mind is constantly busy with thoughts and we are jumping from ideas to emotions to memories for most of our waking hours. 

During meditation you will begin to witness how much movement happens in the mind, you can learn to observe your thoughts and perhaps begin to change them, finding moments of quiet in between all of the chatter. 

Taking a step back and witnessing your thoughts instead of identifying with them is one of the keys to meditation. 

To try and explain the methodology of mediation I want you to imagine your brain and your thoughts as a mind map with its central core as your focus point. 

What helps you to focus will vary from individual to individual, it could be your breath, a sound like Om or some music, something to look at or a chakra point in your body. 

You then try to hold your focus for a few seconds or breaths, before the mind wanders and interrupts the quite focus. At this point you can witness your wandering thought, acknowledge it and ask it to move on and then try and bring yourself back to your central focus again. 

So in our mind map the random thoughts are the next layer outside of our focal point and we want to avoid following any particular train of thought down its path. 

Here is how I picture it: 

So the brain at the centre is our focal point, anything within the pink circle is the 1st level of random thought and from these we try to pull back to centre instead of allowing the thoughts to follow the different coloured paths outside of the pink circle. 

You can try this method this week and see how you get on. See if you become more aware of your random thoughts and better able to control them and move back to your central focal point, see if you can notice what thoughts are occupying your mind or how many times your mind might be wandering in a given time period. 

Here are a few tips to help you set us your meditation practice: 

1. Set up a meditation space. Somewhere calm, quiet, and not too cluttered, to help to create the right mood. 

2. Choose a quiet time in your daily routine. As soon as you wake up in the morning, before looking at your phone, computer, or talking to anyone would be ideal, or last thing at night after you have switched everything off for the day. 

3. Using the same time and place each day will create a space and routine. Then you will be able to relax into the practice more quickly. 

4. Sit comfortably, with your spine tall and your chin tucked down slightly, use cushions or a wall and if you don’t want to sit on the floor, a stool or chair could work just as well. 

5. Breathe deeply. Regulating your breath will help your mind and body to relax. 

You could start with five minutes deep breathing and then slow it down. 

6. Your mind will wander, thoughts will be jumping in, do not feel disappointed or frustrated. If you are anxious about thinking too much then it will be harder to relax. 

7. Setting your attention on a point will help you focus.  You can use an image or bring your attention to one of your chakras or even one of your body parts, like your heart. Keep the eyes closed and focus on your intention, resting the mind here. 

8. Detach yourself from your thoughts. You can keep the concentration on one point while watching your mind and see what comes up. 

9. Build your practice gradually, you can begin to practice for 5 - 10 minutes a day, building up your practice as you get used to it and find more stillness. 

10. Meditation comes when you reach a state of pure thought. You are aware of the mind and thus can witness the self. 

So start this week with five minutes a day – just watching your thoughts and trying to manage them and over the next weeks we’ll have a look at a couple of other methods. 

Enjoy! 

Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.