Meditation Project: Holding Steady
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| The Listening Room by Rene Magritte |
It was kind of an uneventful week. I did not forget to practice. I did not panic about making through a session. I was no wracked with self doubt.
But I did feel like I was almost falling asleep one day when I was practicing in the afternoon in a sunny spot—even though I was sitting in Hero pose!—so that made me wonder if I should start practicing at a regular time first thing in the morning. I like having some flexibility because not all days are the same, but I can definitely see the benefits having it be part of your morning routine and practicing at a less sleepy time of day. That being said, I haven't tried it yet. There is a part of me that hates being locked into too many routines.
Speaking of which, I decided to change the location of my practice to a room that has a big window that I can open and enjoy the spring breezes while I practice. (It's actually the "yoga room" where I teach if I'm teaching a yoga private but I don't practice asana there very often for weird reasons. Maybe I should change the name of the room to the "Listening Room"?)
One day I found myself resisting the idea of practicing my mantra because I really didn't want to think. So I returned to the Loving-Kindness meditation because that one really takes me out of myself, as I'm forced to think of other people and hold them in my mind. That worked really well. But it made me wonder whether or not I should commit to one style of practicing or not. Obviously I like mixing it up. But does that mean I'm missing some benefits? (Since I'm not even clear why I'm practicing maybe that question doesn't even make sense.)
Sunday, April 21
Practiced my mantra in Legs Up the Wall pose. Legs Up the Wall pose is my Sunday treat and also an antidote to all the gardening and walking I typically do on weekends. I was comfortable and the practice was reasonably easy.
Monday, April 22
Practiced my mantra in a seated position before my asana practice. It was pleasant.
Tuesday, April 23
Decided to practice in the back room in front of the light-filled window before my asana practice. Practicing my mantra as usual in that environment seemed to make the time pass more quickly.
Wednesday, April 24
Repeated yesterday's practice as far as timing and location, and my experience of it was similar as well.
Thursday, April 25
This time I practiced in the back room in front of the window but it was after my asana practice. I soon felt like it was a big mistake because I felt as if I was nodding off several times. I tried mentally "shouting" my mantra but gave that up because it felt like a weird contradiction of the meaning of Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
Friday, April 26
This was the day I decided to practice the Loving-Kindness meditation (self guided) again because it keeps my mind focused on other people. I also made sure not to sit in a spot where the sunlight was on me (thinking that makes me sleepy). The 18 minutes passed easily and parts of it were downright pleasant, which is a rare feeling for me.
by Nina Zolotow
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