What is Meditation?

Meditation is one of the 5 Principles of Yoga. Meditation is a practice that facilitates the ability to be more aware and observant of the present. The diverse meditation techniques and methods have a common theme- controlling the mind, relaxing the body, and bringing a state of calmness and mental clarity.

Meditation follows three basic concepts:

1. Withdrawing from the distractions of the senses and bringing the mind to a place of concentration. Focus is directed onto one element like the repetition of breathing, the repetition of a word, the connection with a bodily sensation, or an image or single thought.
2. Meditation is done without judgment and conclusions are not drawn from irrelevant thoughts. Wandering thoughts are placed in the background without struggle. Meditation does not mean to suppress outside thoughts, but rather to keep these thoughts from taking you away from the present.
3. During meditation, you remain aware of sensations, distractions, surroundings, and irrelevant thoughts, but discovering that they do not agitate or bring on stress. You meditate to develop the ability to exist in the moment with contentment and acceptance.

Meditation is applied in the yoga practice to allow observation of the mind and bring heightened awareness to the Self. The discovery of the Self and revelation your oneness with the universe is through stilling the mind with an uninterrupted flow of concentration. With a dedicated, regular practice, the deep connection with the Self and universe leads to Samadhi, the ultimate goal of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (Raja Yoga). Samadhi is the state of enlightenment where complete peace and contentment are achieved, awareness to pure truth and knowledge are attained.

Welcome to Yoga Insight

In a world focussed on material existence and acquisitions, one easily looses sense of what is real. What is real happiness? What are real relationships? What are real emotions? What is one's real purpose to existence?

Seeing the real truth within ourselves starts by simply sitting still and gazing inward. Observing without judgment. Seeing what is real in that moment and peeling away the complexities of desires, envy, and other weighting characteristics festering from ego.

Meditation and yoga are powerful tools to this inner gaze. Yoga opens and strengthens the body creating a healthy vehicle for energy and consciousness to reside. Meditation creates a clarity that no other practice can provide. All too often one lives with disconnection. Mind and body existing in separate realities. This disconnection often blocks one's inner gaze and the real truths become clouded and distorted.

Yoga and meditation re-establish connection of mind and body. They establish a renewed rhythm of breath along with healing energy and mental focus. As the body grows strong with yoga, the mind and soul grow steady with vitality seeing where one's life can be taken with joyfulness, contentment, and real truth.