One of yoga’s many gifts is that it helps you to stay in the present moment. Few people can “be present” for themselves and others consistently.

Most of us don’t realize that we spend 99 per cent of our time – even our most intimate moments with others – worrying about the future and agonizing over the past, rather than being present for our lives.

In Yoga and human kindness give singer/songwriter Sherry Ryan many ‘Wonderful Cures’ Sherry Ryan says: “‘I think I worry and I live in the past and future, but maybe not as much as other people,’ she considers, noting that the practice of yoga is about letting go of the ability to think or dwell on the past or future. ‘There’s obviously a varying degree there, but maybe I’m a little better at being in the moment than I thought. There’s a good quote on the bathroom wall at The Ship — it’s a Ron Hynes quote, apparently, but I don’t know that for sure — it goes something like, ‘We barely savour the moment but we spend a lifetime dwelling on it,’ meaning you’re not in the moment but after it’s gone you worry about it and worry about it … you’re not really getting the full deal if you’re not in it 100 per cent.’”

As you continue to be practice yoga, you’ll find that you’ll catch yourself throughout the day when you’re worrying: you realize that you’re missing what’s real in your life, and the only life you have, in fantasy and regret.

Yoga has the potential to enhance you life in many ways, and the power of presence – where your whole life becomes a meditation – is a wonderful gift, so just keep practicing yoga.

[tags]yoga, present, presence, meditation[/tags]

If you’re new to yoga meditation, you’ll be frustrated because it seems impossible for your mind to be still. It’s crowded with thoughts, and the more you try to eliminate those thoughts, the more tense you become. Meditation seems an impossible skill to learn.

However, the very fact that you even recognize the thoughts you’re having as THOUGHTS is an immense achievement. Most people identify with their thoughts completely: they just don’t recognize that their essential self is not their thoughts.

Just say “thinking”

Because it’s so difficult to recognize thoughts as thoughts, if you do recognize a thought, just say to yourself “thinking”. You’re labeling what’s going on in your mind.

“Thoughts on Thinking” says:

An old Chinese Zen Master once said, “Some of you are taking me literally when I say, ‘Don’t think,’ and you are making your minds like a rock. This is a cause of insentiency and an obstruction to the Way. When I say not to think, I mean that if you have a thought, think nothing of it.”

Read the complete article: it will help you to recognize that thinking is natural, impossible to eliminate, and is part of your meditation. You’ll stop taking your thoughts so seriously, and this is one of the rewards of yoga meditation.

[tags]yoga meditation, thinking, thoughts[/tags]

Mala Beads For Yoga

Want a mind that’s clear and calm like water, but prepared to deal with anything? Mala meditation helps you to achieve this state. When I first started to meditate, I found it almost impossible to calm my mind. “Monkey mind” never stopped jumping around.

Then a teacher suggested that mala meditation would help. A mala is string of beads, and you repeat a mantra as you count each bead. For example, your mantra might be “Om”, so as you pass the beads through your fingers, you say Om at each bead. Malas have 108 beads, with an additional large Meru bead, which lets you know when you’ve reached the end of your count. When you get to the Meru, you reverse the mala, and keep counting your mantra again.

Malas Can Be Simple, Or Beautiful

Malas are available in many different forms. Semi-precious stones are popular, because stones are said to have specific effects. A rock crystal mala, for example, is said to be healing and protective, while a sandalwood mala brings calm and tranquillity – and smells wonderful, too.

Tips For Mala Meditation

* You can say your mantra aloud, or silently to yourself. Keep up a steady pace as you work your way around the mala – don’t rush. If your mind wanders from the mantra, bring it gently back;

* You can spend as much time as you please in mala meditation. Start off with five or ten minutes. Even just a single round of counting your mala will focus and relax you – great if you’re going for a job interview or are giving a presentation;

* Keep your mala in a safe place. Some people choose to wear their mala, so that it’s always handy, and they can take time out for stressful situations;

* End your yoga practice with a few moments of mala meditation – then get up ready to take on the world.

Mala Beads For Yoga

[tags]yoga, mala, mala meditation, beads, mantra [/tags]