Are you a meditation dropout?

I’ve been meditating for a long time. I received my first mantra when I was 19. In my twenties and thirties, as a householder, there were periods when I abandoned meditation entirely. It was during those periods that depression set in. Thankfully, in my late thirties, I found my way back to meditation through yoga, pranayama, and mantra chanting. In the more than 35 years since, I’ve rarely strayed far from my daily practice. I have strayed, though, letting myself get caught up in a morning routine that left little time for formal meditation. Even then, when I could, I practiced Yoga Nidra in the late afternoon. Still, when I let myself stray too far from a seated practice, I know it’s time for a retreat.

Those of you who already meditate know that sitting in daily meditation with like-hearted others boosts your own practice in myriad ways. For me, it makes me happier day to day, and on a deeper level, it uncovers the innate joy I already am. I know myself to be whole, healed, and perfect.

Finding my way to stillness
In the early days of my meditation practice, when my anxiety-based depression was still dominating my life, I certainly couldn’t sit in silence watching my breath or focusing on a mantra. I needed techniques to settle my mind first. These I found in the yoga tradition. Pranayama and kriya breathing, for example, helped me calm my busy mind so I could observe thoughts as they arose without reacting to them. Mantra chanting, sometimes accompanied by hand gestures called mudras, was often my best portal into a still mind. Another tool that helped me settle was calling to mind an image of peace, usually drawn from a time in nature when I felt calm and at ease.

What my practice looks like now
I still use these techniques every day when I sit early in the morning. I rarely sit cross-legged on the floor these days, although I still can. Most often, I sit in a comfortable chair with a pillow supporting my back, either with my legs crossed on the seat or with both feet solidly planted on the floor. On some winter mornings, though, as the sun rises in Tucson, you can find me in the community hot tub. After the bubbles have soothed my stiff joints and I’ve done my breathing practice, I meditate on my mantra or on the sound of birdsong. For the last two years, my practice has also included prayer. I say Sanskrit prayers I’ve learned in ashrams like Sivananda, along with my own affirming prayers in English.

My dawn practice changes with the seasons and wherever I find myself. On the best days, I might sit on a rock overlooking Tucson in the spring, by a lake in Mexico in the winter, or by the ocean for much of the summer. Sometimes it’s a hotel room or a campsite on my long drive across the country. What I love most is finding myself among early risers on retreat. My own practice deepens as I join in the rhythm of breath in the room.

An invitation to practice together
I’ll have that gift in April at Sivananda Ashram on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and I’d love for you to join me. I’ll teach the LifeForce Yoga practices that helped me settle my busy mind in my late thirties and that I still turn to today. Bring a friend and give yourselves a few days to relax by the ocean.

Please join me there, April 14 – April 17. Come early or stay longer and immerse yourself in the Sivananda Yoga practices offered at the ashram.

It’s called Paradise Island for a reason! Walk barefoot on the beach before breakfast, take a dip in that turquoise water, or find a shady spot with the book you’ve been meaning to read. Join the ashram community for morning meditation. You can also enjoy a yoga class or come for evening meditation and chanting, where I’ll be speaking along with others. Perhaps leave yourself an afternoon with nothing on the calendar. Find out more about Sivananda Ashram Bahamas here.

Make room for yourself. Plan your tropical escape now.

 

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A free LifeForce Yoga video

Watch my original award-winning DVD for free here: LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues, Level 1, and please share with anyone who will benefit.

  • 12 Chapters shot in HD
  • Original music by William Chapman + music from Krishna Das, MJ Bindu Delekta
  • Shot on location in Tucson, AZ by Emmy-award winning PBS Cinematographer/Editor, Dan Duncan.

Download the Yoga to Beat the Blues Level 1 handbook.