“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you are too busy, then you should sit for an hour.“
~ an old Zen saying
Q: What is the relationship between a physical yoga practice and meditation?
A: Maybe nothing. You could use yoga asana as a workout. You could also use yoga as a way to practice being present; to find your breath in your body, to explore how you move using the breath, to become aware of how your mind continually pulls you into thinking away from the present moment. Yoga can be practice for a richer life if you allow it to be.
Q: On the helpful mind site, is a distinction made between concentration, mindfulness, space between thoughts and contemplative or divine consciousness?
A: For now let’s just use the word meditation and ‘the helpful mind’ more generally unless you have specific questions about these differences.
Q: If my mind is very active, is meditation a good fit for me.
A: With practice, even the busiest mind can settle. Keep it simple. Start with five minutes at the same time each day and build from there.
Q: Does developing a witness consciousness (a non-judgemental awareness of thoughts and feelings) mean that you become a passive observer of your life instead of a participant?
A: Developing your ability to watch as thoughts and feelings arise gives you the ability to respond to life instead of react. It gives you the space to make a decision about how to consciously participate in your life. Intentionality around anything you choose to do becomes more available.
Q: Is yoga nidra meditation?
A: Technically no. Yoga nidra is an effective technique to control the senses and is used to redirect awareness from external to internal. It is another tool to develop witness consciousness and to cultivate the helpful mind. Yoga nidra is a beautiful practice…It will also shift you if practiced regularly. Yoga nidra literally saved me when I was a sleep deprived new mother. It has helped when I have struggled in various ways as an additional practice but it isn’t part of my daily routine and it does not replace my meditation time which is daily. You might be different.