AYGMyJune2015

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may/june 2015

yogajournal.com.au

No more excuses

To begin: broadly defined, “mindfulness” refers to any practice in which

you concentrate and try to remain aware of your experience moment

to moment. That experience is anchored by an object (like the breath),

a sensation (like walking), a sound, a visual or more, and ultimately

aims to cultivate mental stability. Some of the following styles of

meditation relate to mindfulness, some take the practice further –

to a deep level of inquiry – and some rely on different techniques like

using an object or manipulating the breath to change your state of

consciousness. Like mindfulness, some are rooted in Buddhist tradition,

while others stem from a lineage of Hindu meditation practices.

If you are ready for enlightenment...

try vipassana: this Sanskrit word essentially means “insight.” It

refers to a variety of meditation techniques that help the practitioner

access a deeper level of consciousness, see “reality” and experience

impermanence. In classical vipassana, a 2500-year-old Buddhist tradition,

you first focus on breath awareness. Insight may come naturally, once

you’ve calmed the mind, or you can add advanced techniques that

involve dissecting arguments and concepts, and using props.

If you want to practise at your desk...

try Dzogchen: this is a form of Tantric meditation that asks you

to be aware of everything, meaning it is “object-less” or “non-dual”.

You practise with the eyes open and avoid labelling thoughts,

feelings or sensations.

If you need to find forgiveness...

try loving kindness meditation: popular in the West, this practice

is similar to some Tibetan traditions around developing compassion,

but is essentially a relatively new form of meditation. You repeat

a mantra related to freedom from fear and suffering, shifting your

intention to different people in your life and yourself.

If you want an out-of-body experience...

try Transcendental Meditation: a form of Hindu meditation, or

Vedanta, the goal is to ... transcend, or rise above all that is impermanent.

While in a seated meditation pose, you focus on a mantra and actively

change the breath in order to alter your state of mind.

If you are looking for more energy...

try Kundalini meditation: Kundalini is a yoga practice, but also

a philosophy and the name of energy in Tantric yoga practices and

Hindu spiritual practices. This energy rises through the chakras,

from the base of your spine to the crown of your head and onwards.

In Kundalini meditation, you are using your breath to move energy

upwards in an effort to change your state of mind, while also waiting

for that moment when energy is reduced to a simple, pure form,

similar to when you sleep, orgasm or die.

If you have trouble sitting still...

try qi gong: similar to Kundalini, qi gong is a Taoist method

of meditation that uses the breath to circulate energy through

the body and eventually alter consciousness.

If you need rules and guidelines...

try zazen: a very exacting Zen practice with prescriptions for how

to maintain the eyes, hands and posture, zazen is a non-dual practice

that means simply to sit, as the Buddha did thousands of years ago.

You sit, without a focus on an object, until your innate ability to see

reality emerges.

The

right

path

Sorting through meditation styles can be a lot like sifting through yoga-class schedules when

you’re a new practitioner. “Especially in the West, meditation practices get mixed and hybrids

emerge,” explains Dr Dunne. (Think: Hot Vinyasa Flow, Power Yin, Ashtanga-inspired, etc.)

Even in India, the birthplace of meditation, there isn’t just one word for the practice, says Dr

Dunne. On a fundamental level, all meditation aims to consciously cultivate the mind, but not

all styles are right for everyone. If a mindfulness practice doesn’t resonate with you, here are

some other common techniques that may be more suited to your personality and point in life.

Amanda Mascarelli is a freelance science and health writer. She’s hoping a mindfulness-meditation course can help her navigate

the daily pressures of her writing career and raise three children more gracefully and with less stress.

yj43_36-41_FEA meditate_272.indd 39 31/03/2015 1:15 pm