Yoga Center of California

Learn to Meditate

Why Meditate?

Just like the poses release tension from your body, meditation releases the turbulence from you mind. When you meditate, you can experience a sense of deep peacefulness, courage, joy, love and compassion. We all have those qualities. It’s just that daily mental conflicts and frustrations keep us from tapping into our “Inner Self.” Once you experience peace or courage in meditation, you’ll find that those qualities start coming through during your day and into your relationships. Life starts getting to be a lot more fun and fulfilling.

How to Meditate?

There are many styles of meditation, and we teach most of them in our classes. Each of us is different; we have different strengths, weaknesses and goals. There isn't one meditation technique that fits everyone. For example, if you are an auditory dominant person, you may get to that peaceful place most quickly by using a meditation technique that involves sound. Mantrams are great for auditory people. If you are more visual, than a meditation technique that involves visualizations might be better.

Here are some meditation hints and a technique that gets you ready for other meditation techniques:

• Don’t eat for a couple of hours before meditating
• Create a “meditation space” in your home where you sit each time you meditate
• Use a mat that you only use for meditation and/or yoga
• Sit facing east or north
• Do a breathing practice before meditating
• Meditate daily for 15 minutes

Beginning meditation technique:

For 5 minutes, with eyes open, look around the room and observe everything as if you are watching a parade or children on a playground. Don’t judge or critique. Just observe or “witness.”

Close your eyes and watch your thoughts and feelings in the same way. This will be a little more difficult, but remember not to judge or critique, and you’ll find it gets easier.

If there is pause or moment of peace between thoughts and feelings, enjoy and appreciate that pause and/or peace.

At the end of your meditation, make sure to tense and relax your body briefly. This is called bilom and it ensures that you bring the benefits of meditation with you during the day.