Observe Your Current Relationship With Meditating

Sitting in Silence

• Put a timer on, sit comfortably, and see how long you can keep your thoughts quiet

• Practice this each day until you reach a time that gives you renewal.

Noticing the Vrittis

• Vrittis are whirlpools in the mind that take us away from the soothing stillness that true meditation is.

• Vrittis include: Pramana (Correct Knowledge), Viparyaya (Incorrect Knowlegde), Vikalpa (Imagination), Nidra (Sleep), and Smrti (Memory).

• When one of the vrittis begins to take over your mind during meditation, remind yourself that if it is important you will remember it later and that thinking about it does not serve you now. Breath the thought out with an audible breath and reset your mind.

Breathing Consciously

• Steady your body and mind with box breath- Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, hold all breath out for 4 seconds. Repeat several times

• Try alternate nostril breathing by inhaling through the left nostril for 3 seconds, holding it for 3 seconds, exhaling through the right nostril for 3 seconds, and then holding all breath out for 4 seconds. Repeat 3-5 cycles.

Letting Go of Bodily Sensations

• Sit comfortably and steady your breath… Begin at your feet and do a full body scan going through how each individual muscle, nerve, and bone feels in your body. Do it slowly, and linger where you feel an unusual sensation. Finish at the top of your head.

• This will bring you more consciousness when moving and can be important for injury prevention.