Meditation

Contrary to popular belief, meditation does not always involve clearing the mind. Focused attention meditation allows for you to focus on a specific sensation, feeling, or sound to slow down the racing mind, improving attention/concentration and reducing stress/anxiety.

In opposition to focused-attention mindfulness, open-awareness meditation allows you to fully absorb your surroundings, fully experience your internal state, or a combination of both. This creates a shift in presence that allows us to transition from the vicious cycle of "just doing" to "just being". 

Instead of having a million thoughts flying through our heads at the same time, mantra meditation allows us to focus on a single thought. The repetition of this thought promotes instills positive affirmations, alleviates negative emotional states, and produces a sense of calm within.

Especially helpful for those with anxiety-based tension or chronic pain, body scan meditation allows you to fully experience the sensations coming from differing parts of your body. Recognizing where you hold stress can be a stepping stone to addressing chronic physical issues, especially when this is leading to a decline in mental health.

This form of eye open meditation involves fixating the gaze on a single point, typically the flame of a candle. Trataka has been known to strengthen the muscles of the eyes, reduce headaches/migraines, and subdue repressed anger/aggression. 

For those with more experience in meditation, also known as yogic sleep, Yoga Nidra can have incredible benefits such as: changing thought patterns, improving cognitive function and memory, as well as boosting self esteem/confidence. Over time, this practice leads to what is referred to as "waking mindfulness", or accepting what is happening around us without creating judgements or repressions.