of the foot, the arch. Continue
in this detailed fashion to the
top of your head. Ask yourself:
What tension do I feel? Where
is there pain? Observe any
sensations—warmth, coolness,
tingling, dullness, compression,
and spaciousness—as you move
through the body. Notice your
relationship to your experience,
to thoughts, images, and feelings
as they arise and pass away. This
is not an exercise in trying to
change or judge the body, but to
experience what is there. Meet
what you find with friendliness
and without resistance. The
point is to train your mind to
go where you want it to go.step out
Walking meditation is great if
you find you are too restless to
sit still, and it can help widen
your field of focus. Begin stand-
ing, bringing your attention to
the bottoms of your feet and the
contact of your feet with the
surface beneath you. Lift one
foot, noticing how your body
weight shifts to the standing leg.
Feel the standing foot spread
itself over the ground. Going as
slowly as you can, step forward,
tracking the changes in the body
as you move. Can you feel spe-
cific muscles contracting and
others relaxing? At what point
does your balance shift from
the back leg toward the front
leg? Each time your mind wan-
ders, bring your attention back
to your feet. Notice the environ-
ment around you—the colors,
the scents, the textures, and any
thoughts or feelings that arise—
and keep bringing your attention
back to the act of walking.see the light
Where the eyes go, so goes your
attention. Tratak, a Sanskrit
word that means “fixed gazing,”
is the practice of staring at an
object to steady the mind. Place
a burning candle at eye level,
about two feet from where you
are comfortably seated. Focus
your gaze on the flame without
blinking your eyes for about a
minute, using the light as a focal
point to return to when your
mind wanders. Then close your
eyes and visualize the flame at
the point between your eye-
brows, holding the image for as
long as you can. When the image
fades, open your eyes. Repeat
the exercise three or four times.
End your practice by rubbing
your hands together until they
heat up, and gently place your
palms over your eyelids to bathe
them in warmth.scan your body
This is a great technique to use
if you have an injury or illness
that makes it uncomfortable to
sit. Lie on your back with your
legs straight, or prop yourself
up on pillows so that you are in
a reclining position. Close your
eyes unless you are sleepy, in
which case you can keep your
eyes open. Cultivate an alert but
relaxed attention as you take a
mental tour of the body. Bring
awareness to each part of your
body, starting with the big toe,
each of the other toes, the balljust breathe
Find a comfortable seated posi-
tion and begin by observing your
natural breath. Notice the tex-
ture, length, and rhythm as the
breath flows in and out of your
body. Feel the temperature of
the air as it touches your nos-
trils. Take note, too, of pauses
between breaths. As thoughts
arise, note them, but then allow
them to float by like clouds,
gently bringing your attention
back to the breath. If you find
it difficult to concentrate, try
silently counting. For example,
inhale 1, exhale 1, inhale 2, exhale
2, up to 10, and then repeat the
cycle. After a while, you can stop
counting and just focus on your
natural breath.chant a mantra
Traditionally, mantras are sacred
words or syllables given by a
teacher that are repeated as
a means for awakening to the
Divine. Working with sound is
a powerful way to soften the
critical mind and transform the
energy of your internal dialogue.
In yoga, Sanskrit sounds imbued
with specific meanings are often
used, but you can choose any
sound or word that has meaning
for you. You might try repeating
the word shanti (peace) out
loud as you exhale, and “peace”
silently to yourself as you inhale.
When thoughts arise, concen-
trate on the sound and the vibra-
tion of the sound in your body.Try one of these
simple techniques to
hone concentration
and invite meditation.88 YOGAJOURNAL.COM YOGA TODAY
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