Some folks need a practice that is more physical in order to calm the body and mind. Vinyasa style is often said to be a form of meditation wherein rather than repeating a mantra in one’s head, and maintaining stillness, one repeats a series of physical movements over and over, connected to the breath. During my yoga trainings we often practiced a walking meditation, where each step was purposefully made: “planting my heel, rolling toward the toes, lifting the other foot, planting heel, rolling to toes” repeating this with each step. For me it brings complete awareness to the mechanisms of the body, allowing the mind to not stray in 27 directions … did someone say squirrel!?
Many of us struggle with monkey mind and it may seem impossible to stay focused on a mantra or to even sit still. Recently in a restorative class a student indicated that she was concerned she would not be able find stillness during our 10 restorative poses or our guided 15 minute svasana. After class she said she was able to follow my voice and stay focused. She didn’t experience the monkey mind and physical fidgeting that she anticipated. Reeling in all those random thoughts and not fidgeting can be incredibly soothing for mind and body. So many people say, “I just can’t turn off my mind.” What if with some guidance, you could? What if you could turn down the volume on the incessent chatter and dialogue that goes on in your head? Could you find some peace? Could you experience stillness?
For me, meditation has been a healing, transforming gift. It has helped me in times of grief, times of great stress and worry. It has helped me to leave situations that were no longer in my best interest. How? How can sitting in stillness, focusing on one thing do all that? For me, when I free up all that chatter and dialogue, I believe it creates space in my head and allows room for solutions, answers, heck even epiphanies. It is a work in progress. It is not by any means instant or even consistent. I struggle to find that head space. But when it happens, when my mind is clear, a solution or realization will fall right into my lap and it is indeed magical.
~Jeannette~