meditation

By Monica Groover

Meditation is a practice that can help you cultivate mindfulness and inner peace. There is a common misconception that meditation means emptying our minds. Ah huh? No. That's not the aim and object of meditation. The word meditation stems from meditatum, a Latin term that means 'to ponder.

To think very deeply, to focus very deeply on anything--focusing on a person, a thing, a word, a phrase, or anything really is meditation. When a person is in love and they are suffering from separation from this loved one, because you are unable to meet, all your attention is only on that person that you are in love with--we can say you are meditating on that person.

When we are thinking deeply about a book, a topic, or a place that we loved when we were kids--and we are totally engrossed in this place--this is a meditation. However, cultivated meditation can be used to help balance our doshas, mind, and spirit. Let's talk about meditation for peace, and, wellness. Let's talk about the three stages of meditation that I follow.

I do a meditation called mind traveling-I taking my mind to the same place every day--that I am actually there. That is a story for another time. Another meditation I follow is a body scan meditation to help with mind-body balance. I also use this to teach nadi pariksha (pulse) to my Ayurveda students.

1. Warm-up

Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down without being disturbed. If you can light a lovely fragrant candle, or use a rose or lavender essential oil that's a plus. I use sandalwood incense or masala agarbatti before I meditate. I also make sure I am not in a well-lit room. It should be slightly dark.

Set a timer for the desired length of your meditation session (start with 5-10 minutes and increase as you get comfortable).

Here we breathe and ground ourselves and get ready to go deeper if we want to. We can also do some yoga asanas or some cardio--then sit down and breathe not deeply, but consistently.

2. Second stage is the actual meditation

Before we move forward--let's talk about different meditation techniques. I do not do Shavasana (corpse pose) and close my eyes while lying down--chances are my mind will wander or I will fall asleep. I want my meditation to heal my mind and spirit. Allow me to witness myself, divine and so I do a body scan and do some loving and kind invocations.

I start by focusing my breath for 5 to 10 seconds. Bring the focus to the center of the forehead to the third eye. Now move to the heart area and then back to the forehead. Staying in this area, we start our word or phrase. I like to say HARI OM or RAM. You don't have to, but if you want to practice with me, you can repeat it now.

Let us start our body scan.

Let us bring our attention to the area around above our heads. As you breathe in --and say OM--visualize healing light entering the top of the head or hovering there.

On our second OM, gently guide this healing light from the top of our head to our third eye.

Now breathe in this light, rub your hands, and visualize the light entering your palms. Breathe out and put your warm palms to your eyes. Stay there. OM. OM. OM.

Put your hands on your throat and say OM again. Visualize the energy from your hands and the healing light vibrating the throat. OM. OM. OM.

Put your hands on the heart and say OM three times. Just let the vibration OM reverberate through your heart. OM. OM. OM.

Put your hand on your navel area. Again, we say OM three times. Visualize a fire or a light that represents your vitality and digestive fire in the navel area. OM. OM. OM.

Now bring your hands back to a prayer position or namaste. Imagine a healing hoola hoop vibrating with the sound of OM moving from our head to toe. This time we will do a quick body scan from the head, to the forehead to the eyes to the heart and stomach--then down to thighs, knees, legs, and feet three times. OM. OM. OM.

Conclusion

Take a few breaths and slowly open your eyes.

Remember, When your mind wanders (which it will), gently bring your attention back to your breath or your chosen point of focus.

Be patient and persistent with your practice. The benefits of meditation come with regular exercise over time.

Remember that there is no "right" way to meditate, and it's okay if your mind wanders during practice.

The key is to be gentle with yourself and bring your attention back to your chosen point of focus whenever you notice your mind wandering.

Monica Groover is the director of Narayana Ayurveda and the author of ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO AYURVEDA; A Textbook for Students & Counselors and AYURVEDA AND THE FEMININE.

https://www.amazon.com/Ayurveda-Feminine-Goddess-%C4%80yurveda-meditatio...
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Ayurveda-Part-Counselors/dp/17350...

We all complain we don't have time to do a meditation. How about using something as mundane as cooking as a time to meditate mindfully?

We talk about cleansing our minds, using mundane activities to help our mind and meditating while doing chores-how simple is that?

What effect does food have on our minds? What is the role of consciousness in cooking? What is meditative cooking?

In this podcast, Pandit Atul Krishna talks about food and the mind.

Meditation is an essential tool for bringing a person’s mind back into balance and should be incorporated into everyone’s health regimen. There are varying types of meditation available depending on a person’s prakruti and depending on if a person’s mind is in a state of rajas, tamas, or sattva. For example, a kapha mind should be kept busy. Conversely, a vata mind should be quieted and kept still. A pitta mind should be calmed. So an appropriate meditation technique should be chosen based on a person’s manasa prakruti and what state it is in.

Vata energy and rajas are similar because both have the qualities of irregularity and movement. Any mediation that aids in stillness will benefit vata minds and minds in the rajas state. Pranayama is an excellent exercise to balance vatas minds and rajasika states. A pranayama practice should be built up gradually, adding a round of breathing each day for about one month. Like any meditation practice, it is ideal to practice daily. Astanga yoga helps to focus the mind and is also beneficial for a vata mind or a mind in rajas. Any mediation practice that helps to ground the airy vata mind will be beneficial, sitting meditations are encouraged.

Kapha minds tend to have the opposite problem from vata minds. Kapha minds are slow and need a kick start. Meditation practices for kapha minds should keep the mind engaged. Guided visualization, contemplative questions, tai chi, or walking meditation would be a great meditative tool for kaphas, or minds that are in a tamasika state. All four methods focus the mind while tai chi, chi kung and walking meditation engage the body while keeping the mind focused.

Pitta minds often need to be calmed. Pranayama is excellent for calming a mind. Alternate nostril breathing and shitali pranayama (breathing through a curled tongue) are cooling and can calm a heated or agitated pitta mind.

A mind that is in the sattva state is a balanced mind. A daily meditation, a diet suited to your prakruti, a healthy lifestyle, balanced elimination and senses will keep a mind in balance.

Many meditations are good for balancing all states of mind and can be adapted to suit the manasa prakruti of a specific individual (for example, walking vs. sitting meditations). Mantra meditation is also an excellent example on how different mantras can bring different doshas back into balance. There are mantras that are good for pacifying pitta, and mantras that increase a person’s purity and goodness (sattva). In summary, there are various meditation techniques and adaptations to suit each individual person and their current state of mind. The best way to keep a mind in balance is to practice meditation daily and have a healthy lifestyle.

by Laurel Hricik,
Student: San Diego College of Ayurveda

Meditation for your Mind
Dr. Nandini Daljit

Vata Meditation Recommendations:

The Vata mind would benefit from Transcendental meditation with 20 minute sessions that concentrate on the mindful/silent repetition of a mantra - allowing thoughts to be acknowledged and the mind to release thoughts freeing up space by focusing on the mantra thus enhancing relaxation and increased silencing. TM would be particularly beneficial for a vata mind in Sattva and Rajas.

A spiritual meditation would also be beneficial for the vata mind as it is a quiet and communicative type of meditation with God or the universe (or the higher being of choice) which is aligned with the vata strengths of reflection and communication.

As well, this time of meditation also allows the vata mind to dialogue about a personal issues or concern as a silent witness. A spiritual meditation would offer much peace and enlightenment to a vata mind in Sattva

Yoga as meditation is also a very positivie for the vata mind as it combines physical movement with mental focus allowing prana to move to flow and move througout the body and nourish the mind. In this regard, tai chi and dance could also serve as a meditative vata practice as well as the playing of music.

For visualization, Vata people would benefit from warm images and colors. Mantras such as RAM and HRIM AND SHRIM are warm and calming for vata. Yoga would benefit a vata mind in Tamas by increasing prana to combat dullness.

Pitta Meditation Recommendations:

For visualization, the pitta mind would benefit from cool images and colors. Transcendental meditation would be very beneficial for a pitta mind in order to keep the fire in pitta in check. TM would be very beneficial for a pitta mind that is Sattvic.

Movement meditation would be very appropriate for the pitta dosha type who may find sitting still more agitating than relaxing. In movement meditation the individual can focus on the movement of their breath or engage in a gentle swaying or circular movement.

This gentle movement would be very beneficial for a pitta mind in Tamas by disrupting inertia.

Pitta pacifying mantras are SHAM, SHRIM and OM. These mantras should be repeated silently. If highly agitated - pittas may even find the repetition of their mantra relaxing when they are engaged in more active physical activity. Ensuring their safety, a mindful repetition of the mantra during stationary cycling, rowing, and stairclimbing. This may be very helpful if a pitta mind is highly Rajasic.

Kapha Meditation Recommendations:

The kapha mind would benefit from meditation that includes loud chanting where the vibration of the mantra can flow through the body and mind. Beyond vocal mantra repitition Kaphas would also benefit from Kirtan meditation.

Kirtan is the chanting of mantras and hymns and in that way not only has a vocal connection to the meditation
but a spiritual connection when hymns are chosen. This vocalization is highly recommended for a kapha mind in Tamas.

Transcendental meditation, with its mantra focused meditation would serve the kapha mind in sattva very well by providing kapha with a focused time for re-energizing of the mind which would also be appropriate for a kapha mind in Rajas or Sattva.

Kapha pacifying mantras are OM, HUM and AIM. Visualization of nature based colors and images of earth, sky and sun would benefit the Kapha mind that flourishes in warmth.

By Lisa Bailer, Student: San Diego College of Ayurveda
(Ayurveda Wellness Practitioner Program)

An overview of the three gunas in Ayurvedic Psychological Principles

1. First Guna - Sattva Guna (Mode of Purity) is good, nourishing, harmonious, this is the ultimate goal of our mind. When moving out of sattva mode you can exhibit fear, anxiety and restlessness and worry- similar to vata imbalance.

2. Second Guna - Rajas (Mode of Passion or activity) is active , creative, initiates change. In the negative it is angry, aggressive, jealous, hatred.

3. Third Guna - Tamas (Mode of lethargy) is slow going, lethargic, passive. In the negative it can be destruction, selfish, attachment.

In a sense pitta dosha can be equated to Rajaguna and Kapha can be like tamagun, especially when out of balance. Pitta Imbalance may lead to emotions like anger, jealousy, being competitive and aggressive while kapha in an imbalanced state may get sentimental, greedy and attached so that is turns to destruction of whatever it is attached to.

Since vata governs all, it can display any of the above qualities of the gunas.
To balance a rajastic mind Pitta types should use mantra meditation, left nostril breathing and visualize cool and calming things. Daily affirmations of forgiveness and acceptance with compassion can decrease rajastic mind. Asanas with moon salutations and yoga nidra are calming and cooling.

Kapha types need to let go and move away from tamasic mind and move to rajistic mind so walking meditation to keep them moving and increased pranayama to stimulate opening and space in the mind. Affirmations on detachment and independence. Bhakti yoga which focuses on love and usually involves groups to keep them motivated may help.

Vata types need to calm their minds so doing mantra or visual meditation will help keep their minds focused. Asanas with slow sun salutations, Affirmations of peace, security and supported by t he universe are to help alleviate their tendency toward worry and doubt.