HOW TO MEDITATE:
Sit in a quiet location for 10 min., both feet on floor, hands on lap, close your eyes, then take your awareness to your breath, feel your breath coming and going, feel it in your nostrils for 4 breathes, then feel your breath flowing in your throat for 4 breathes, your chest for 4 breathes, your solar plexus for 4, your belly for 4, and then feel it through the whole body as you breathe. Feel the whole body gently expand on the inhalation, soften on the exhalation. Return your awareness back to your breath when you notice that your mind has wandered.
Metta for Loving Kindness:
Practice this daily meditation to instill qualities of kindness, friendliness, compassion and non-judgemental thoughts....to develop a sense of love for life, all beings and living things....
Begin sitting in a comfortable position, in a location without distractions (turn off phone, tv, radio) let your hands rest on your thighs in preferred mudra (try chinmaya or adhi mudra), sit up tall so back is straight, keep the belly soft and relaxed, eyes softly closed letting them roll back to look gently at your heart center, soften your face/jaw.... and then bring awareness to your breath, feeling the breath flow in/out of the body... begin to recite the following mantra in your mind slowly:
May I be happy, be peaceful, and be free from suffering....
May no harm come to me...
May no problems come to me...
May no difficulties come to me...
May I always meet with success...
May I have the wisdom, courage, and strength
to meet and overcome the inevitable difficulties in life.
Then repeat phrase replacing 'I" with:
family
teachers
friends
enemies
all sentient beings, seen and unseen, born and to be born....
When mantra is finished, sit quietely for 15 minutes, feeling the breath in the body~
Meditation Technique: SOFT BELLY
Sitting tall, with your back straight, eyes softly closed allow them to look inward toward the heart, use your exhalation to release and let the belly go, letting it feel soft, full, and round. Keep returning your attention to feeling your belly and notice if you are again holding it in...just let it soften each time. You may also use a mantra thinking to yourself the word RISING on the inhale/FALLING on the exhale.
Meditation Technique: Sit for 15 minutes in a quiet location, hands rest palms up on legs, breathe in... Smile...smiling allows over 300 muscles in your face to relax~ Exhale and release...let go of projects, worries, fears, thoughts and just be in the here and now moment~
Walking Meditation: While walking, inhale, think yes, yes, yes as you take each step (saying YES to LIFE) and the as you exhale, think the words THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU as you take each step. Walk softly on our earth, kissing the ground with your feet, just noticing the texture and feelings/sensations of your feet on the ground.
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Mudras: Mudras are positions held by the hands or body that influence our mind and/or body on an energetic level. Flexibility of the hands has a direct relationship to the flexibility of the body. Mudras can be practiced anytime, but it is best to sit still in a quiet location to sense the effects.
Chinmaya Mudra: This mudra has a calming, centering, grounding effect. Hands rest in soft fists with tips of thumbs touching tips of index fingers, palms down on legs.
Adhi Mudra: Soothes and calms the nervous system. Hands rest in soft fists with thumbs inside, palms down on thighs or knees.The breath focus should be directed to lower abdomen and lower back.
Mushti Mudra: Improves respiration and circulation, strengthens the heart~ make the hands into fists with the thumbs on the outside, the tips of the thumbs touch the middle joints of the ring fingers, hands face downward resting on thighs, breathe into middle and upper lungs, front, sides and back. Sit for one minute and increase over time.
Mahasirs Mudra: Especially helpful for headaches/sinus problems! This mudra will help quiet your senses, brings energy down from the head, releases jaw, and eliminates mucous congestion. Sitting upright, place hands on lap, ring finger curled down into the palm, middle and index fingers come to meet the thumb, little... finger extended. Rest back of hands on thighs/knees and breathe into lower abdomen.
Surya Mudra: This mudra is great for a sluggish metabolism and lack of energy! Bend the ring finger down to ball of thumb and press thumb gently on top to secure, rest back of hands on the thighs or knees. Breathe into diaphragm/solar plexus area, sit quietly for 1 to 5 minutes~ |  |
