There may be as many methods of meditation as there are meditators.
Zen meditation. Loving kindness meditation. Shavasana. Vipassana. The use of mantras. Transcendental meditation. Qi gong and tai chi. Even doing the dishes!
Common to all these forms is the practice of leaving behind one’s thoughts and entering the realm of awareness.
Awareness of what?
Awareness of feeling.
Awareness of our energetic connection to all that is.
And not just a conscious feeling of connection but an unspoken knowing that this connection has always existed even before we became aware of it.
We are constantly loved and supported by all that is, blessed beyond measure, loved beyond anything we have ever dreamed about.
The more we step out of our thoughts and into our feeling nature the more we become aware that in fact there is no separation between who I am, who you are, the room we sit in, the street outside, the air we breathe and everyone everywhere all over the universe.
Oneness is not just a concept at this point, it’s an actual experience.
Having practiced various forms of meditation for many years, without a doubt my favorite practice to move into this mind-body state is yoga.
Recently, one of my students gave me what I consider to be the greatest compliment.
“Your class is the most difficult yoga class I have ever taken and also the most relaxing,” she said.
After 19 years teaching yoga, I have mastered the art of leading students so deeply into their bodies, so comprehensively into their connective tissue that they develop a newfound awareness that how they sit, stand and move affects their state of being in every moment.
When they practice yoga with me, this process is so engrossing that all other thoughts get left behind.
At least for an hour a half!
When I practice on my own, I tune in to how I feel and begin by working through my minor aches and pains.
As I work out of discomfort into greater ease and openness, my mind naturally follows.
The most important pose in my personal practice is wheel. I challenge myself to complete at least five full wheels (yesterday I did seven) and welcome the deep relaxation that follows when I release.
Finally, after working through all my joints, carefully opening my body, I allow pure fresh energy to pour through.
As my body lets go, my mind gradually follows.
At the end of practice, it feels normal and natural to enjoy this state.
My mind becomes like a quiet pond with the ripples of thought fading into the distance.
All of a sudden, with no spiritual effort, I feel one with all that is and meditation is the sequential and organic result of my practice.
I am in a state of grace, thankful, relaxed, waiting and watching, breathing and feeling one with all that is.
What is healing? Healing happens when we let go of thought and allow our mind to drop into a meditative state.
