Lotus Yoga Off The Mat Challenge
Day 13: Yoga and meditation

Hello Yogis!

Day 13 of the Lotus Yoga Off The Mat Challenge theme is Yoga and meditation.

If you feel like you just can’t meditate because of too many distractions, you are not alone. Nearly everyone I have ever talked to about meditation responds with one (or both) of the most common complaints: 1) I just can’t sit still / my mind is so busy; 2) I always fall asleep.

We all experience that – even those people in all those beautiful images of yoga and meditation.

Of course, we know that meditation is very beneficial. However, we don’t always understand that it’s beneficial even when we don’t feel that we are doing it “right”. You see, rather than not being able to do it because of all the distractions, or because you end up falling asleep, meditation actually helps us get rid of those distractions.

The key is to accept the fact that learning to meditate is a process, and then to give in to that process. Enjoy it, even!

Accept that both the fidgeting and the sleep are natural. Those are the natural reactions when we come from our busy and stressful lives. We fidget to get the kinks out of our mind, so to speak. And we fall asleep because we need the sleep. Honestly, there is nothing wrong with either of those. In fact, our reactions to meditation are the reasons why we need to meditate!

So, be gentle with yourself. We don’t need to berate ourselves for either of these behaviors when we try to meditate. Instead, we need to return to the practice again and again because each time we do, we move ourselves closer to fidgeting out the kinks and giving our bodies and minds the opportunity to sleep peacefully. And eventually, we will begin to meditate.

Yoga is an excellent tool to lead us in this process. After each yoga practice, our muscles have worked and our bodies are ready for rest. Likewise, our minds have had time during the practice to settle, even if it’s only a little bit. Then, during shavasana, we have a guided opportunity to rest bodies and minds. This part of our yoga practice helps to train us to move into a more deeper meditation practice.

• What are your experiences with mediation?
• How do you resist meditation?
• How do you embrace it?
• Has yoga helped you to experience some of the benefits of meditation?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences with yoga and humor! Remember to leave a comment on the Lotus FaceBook page or other social media with the hash tag: #lotusyogaoffthemat.

Namaste,