Day 10 - Meditation Challenge - Yoga Nidra

This weekend was the grand opening of a beautiful Yoga studio in Brooklyn, NY named Yoga Nidra.  I was so thrilled to come for a weekend trip to participate in this amazing event, especially since the owner is my lovely student Stephanie.  In honor of her wonderful studio, todays tip for meditation is about Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra is basically Yogic Sleep with conscious awareness.  There are a variety of techniques that yoga teachers use to help students come into this deep relaxation, and sometimes students can also opt for audio guided meditations for Yoga Nidra.  In a typical yoga class, nearly everyone's favorite part of class is Savasana, where we lay down on our mats and relax, unfortunately in many classes savasana is over in what seems to be a blink of an eye.  In the practice of Yoga Nidra, it allows the Savanasa fans to truly relax and unwind for an entire session.  In this practice we scan the body with guided imagery, connecting to each part and inviting relaxation with breath.  The soft soothing voice of the instructor or audio guides us to soften each part of our body.  Sometimes tibetan bells or singing bowls aid in this magical experience.

Yoga Nidra is considered conscious awareness and is referred to in the Mandukya Upanishads, sometimes referred to as "prajna".  Some swamis say that this is when the mind is in the middle of wakefulness and dreaming state of sleep.


 Though students lay in Savasana during this guided meditation, it is not uncommon for teachers to use blankets, blocks, bolsters and any other props to allow for the student to be craddled in a comfortable position.  Yoga Nidra is gaining popularity in the west, as people are realizing the benefits of stillness.  This practice is also beneficial for people who find it hard to sit, although the challenge is to maintain the ideal of mindfullness throughout and avoid sleeping.  With this deep relaxation, students are guided to connect with their bodies, the koshas, chakras, with conscious awareness of the sensations as they travel with the breath throughout the body.  This allows students to release stress and find a sacred connection with their body.

Soon there will be a guided meditation audio for Yoga Nidra on my Youtube Channel.  For those of you in New York, I highly recommend heading to Stephanie's beautiful Yoga Studio, Yoga Nidra.  The energy in her studio is amazing, she is dedicated to bringing you a beautiful experience, and depending on the weather you may be lucky enough to have class on her outside back porch/garden area.  Wish you all a beautiful experience in your journey with Yoga. Namaste

Day 9 - Crystal Meditation

While we all have our own methods to approach this amazing practice of Yoga and Meditation, all paths lead to the same destination, inner peace.  For us to achieve inner peace we need to be able to quiet the noise, but part of quieting the noise/drama or constant memories/pattern behavior that seem to creep up or repeat, we need to understand it, heal and become one with it.  The reason why I encourage people to approach their practice without judgement is because in yoga we are called to be compassionate, that compassion must begin with ourselves.

Rose Quartz - Great for Heart Chakra

Green Calcite - Great for Heart Chakra

Apothyllite and stillbite - Great for 3rd Eye Chakra

For today we are using an external aspect of earth to deepen our meditation experience.  We are using crystals.  Crystals are rock formations that are repeated patterns of molecules that form a solid.  There are a wide variety of crystals, and all have their own unique properties.  Often times people will use Crystals in meditation.  Sometimes you can use crystals based on it's color to coincide with the correlating chakra.  Some chakras are calming (Calcite), some are energizing (Jasper, Quartz).  You can place the crystals on various energy points in the body and see if you can connect with the energy of the stones.  While the study of crystals is amazing, and options are endless, after become certified as a Crystal Healer, I recommend reading up on the power of these beautiful gems and also seeing if you can connect with the stones themselves. 

In ancient India, most yogis would wear certain crystals for the energy, in ancient egypt and greece they would do the same. 

Various Options with Crystal Meditation:

1. While seated in your meditation place the crystal in your left hand, breathe and witness
2. Lay the crystals out along with your chakras or with guidance of a Crystal Healer to energize or calm the body
3. Place some crystals on your alter, or around your sacred space.
4. Using a Crystal Singing Bowl (for those who have this option it is amazing)

Options of Crystals for beginners:

1. Amethyst is always great for calming and 3rd eye.
2. Calcites bring a calm energy, I have had headaches vanish with calcite placed on my forehead
3. Flourite is also a nice soft calming stone.

Day 8 - Meditation - Guided Meditation - Universal Connection

Welcome to Day 8 of our meditation Challenge.  While people all over the world are joining in this Sangha, and I am grateful for this shared experience, some of you have found that you fall asleep during meditation.  First of all, no judgement it happens to the best of us.  Sometimes if you go into the meditation practice with the intent to "relax" or feel "rested" it may be inevitable that you fall asleep. Avoid practicing your meditation in bed, your mind already associates your bed with sleep, so it is ideal to have some sort of special space where you will practice your meditation.  Today's helpful tip is another guided meditation with binaural beats that allow the listener to go into theta state (please use stereo headphones).  This meditation is to increase your awareness of Universal Connection.

1. Set your intention/offering for your meditation practice
2. Sit up tall, close your eyes, take deep breaths and listen to the guided meditation. 
 

To listen to the guided meditation please click the link below:

Universal Connection Guided Meditation Link

Day 7 Meditation on Chakras and The Lords Prayer

We have heard it said that Meditation allows us to grow closer to a divine experience, union with God, communion with God.  So while there may be many different ways to approach meditation, one very powerful method is prayer.  While many people of various faiths are practicing meditation, this post is one that may resonate well with Christians.   People who prefer using Hindu Mantras, Buddhist Mantras or various scripture can choose to do so.


In the Bible Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that

comes from the mouth of God.'"(Matthew 4:4).  This concept is similar to Mantra, our words have power, they are affirmations that can create positive changes in our life or negative.  This Prayer many people recite "The Lord's Prayer" or "Our Father" is a beloved prayer for many around the world.  In the Book of revelation it speaks of the seven gates which are according to many scholars the seven chakras in the body.  The Chakras are energy vortexes within the body that affect the energy of our body & bodily functions.  Below is a diagram of how Edgar Cayce connected the Chakra Sacred points to this Sacred Prayer.




This Meditation combines the Lord's prayer with awareness of Chakras.  Begin in your comfortable seated position and when reciting the Lord's prayer, fix your energy and awareness on the coinciding Chakra.  See yourself surrounded by a radiant light.

The Prayer is: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

Day 6 - Guided Meditation Radiant Light

Day 6 of our 30 day Meditation Challenge.  While many people have their own beautiful practice
unfolding, here is another helpful tip/option.  This is a guided meditation.  The audio has special frequency and binaural beats to allow the listener to easily go into "theta state" which is considered the healing state, therefore please listen with Stereo Headphones for optimal results.

Please click on this link below:
Radiant Light Guided Meditation

Day 5 Meditation Challenge - Cultivating an attitude of Gratitude

Today is Day 5 of our 30 day meditation challenge.  This is my favorite meditation to practice which

I call "attitude of gratitude".  It is simply saying "THANK YOU".  In your 15 minute time you set aside to sit in meditation, see if you can inhale thoughts of gratitude or even just the word thank you.  Being thankful for the Universe, for you beautiful body, for you family, for you friends, for your triumphs, your food, your talents, your surroundings, your home, for your struggles, for the lessons learned, for everything you can think of in the span of 15 minutes. 

Allow each breath to be an offering of gratitude to the amazing blessings in your life.  If you cannot think of things to be thankful for in your meditation, just allow every inhale to be the silent sound of thank you.  Too often we have complaints, or lack of satisfaction and sadly we may take for granted simple things like clean running water, a roof over our head, or even a healthy body.  While we may be striving towards a body that has more muscle tone or thinner physique, this is all derived from an attitude of lack.  Let us find our "contentment" for this 15 minutes allow yourself to view your life from an attitude of abundance, and be grateful. 

 Gratitude is like a domino effect, the more you are grateful for, the Universe/God provides more things in your life to be grateful for.  Thank you all for sharing and wishing you so much love in this experience.

Day #4 - Meditation Challenge - The Zen of Japa Mala Meditation

Today is Day #4 of our meditation challenge.  I am so amazed to see how many people are emailing me to share how just a few days of this practice is transforming their inner peace and daily lives.  Meditation is a powerful practice and it helps us to quiet the monkey mind.

Our body is compared to a chariot in the Katha-Upinashads, with the body being the chariot, our senses are the five courses dragging the chariot, the reins are the mind, the intelligence or Lord of the chariot is the mind.  Peace of mind is important for focus and therefore a focused journey.  So if our mind is controlling the chariot it would be beneficial to learn to control the mind. 

Today's option to adapt into your meditation is japa mala meditation.  Often times you will see Yogis wearing beads around their neck or wrist, these beads are meant to be used for meditation.  Nearly every faith uses prayer beads (Christian, Islam, Buddhist, Sihkism, and Hindu).  The Hindu Japa Mala is done on 108 beads.  The beads are 108 to represent the 108 energy channels or nadi lines that stem from the heart chakra.  When we recite our mantra 108 times, we liberate our heart, and awaken this powerful life force through our entire body via the nadi lines.

To do Japa Mala

1. Sit tall on your meditation seat/cushion/bench
2. Hold Japa Mala beads in the right hand letting the beads glide over the middle finger
3. Using the thumb after reciting your "mantra", pull the bead towards you and progress to the next.

People who practice japa mala meditation often times will recite a mantra like "OM" or "Hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare" or "Om Nama Shivaya".  The Sound of OM (Aum) is a beautiful way to begin the practice of Japa Mala Meditation as it is the Universal Sound that exists in all things.  Mantra is powerful, much like affirmation and will alter the chemical pathways in the human brain and cells of the body to create happiness.  When we use the beads and recite the mantra we put our body in a hypnotic state which allows us to calm the noise and find peace.  When we recite the name of God (regardless of our faith) we are uniting with higher consciousness.  Christians, Buddhist, Sihks and Muslims will chant their own prayers with their specific prayer beads.