Walking Meditation

Beat stress, ground yourself, connect to this moment and try a different meditation technique! There are endless ways to practice meditation and especially if you have trouble with finding a comfortable seated position this is an alternative that I recommend. 

Walking meditation can be done both indoors and outdoors, preferable barefoot. So kick off your shoes and find a space where you can walk undisturbed. It does not have to be a huge space, since you will be walking in a slow pace you can walk in a circle without becoming dizzy ;) 

Before you begin, take a moment to scan through your body. Check in with your posture and see if you can let go of any tension or holding on to stress. Begin to sink your weight don into your feet, feeling the earth supporting you. 

Lower your chin to your chest, keep your eyes slightly open with your gaze at your feet. Bring your awareness to your breath and begin to lean your weight over on to one foot. On an inhale gently and slowly begin to lift the opposite foot. Notice the sensations of the foot floating through the air before lowering the heel, planting the foot with awareness. Inhale to lift the opposite foot, exhale to lower. Notice the sensations in the body, the earth beneath your feet and allow the breath to guide your walking space. 

Practice embracing the moment with each step you take, letting go of goals and destinations. Appreciate the ability of walking, the earth beneath you and the sky above you. When your timer goes off, stop wherever you are and just stand still for a couple of breaths and just experience standing, sinking your feet into the earth, feeling a solid foundation beneath you. Either gently open your eyes when you feel ready or sit down and continue with a seated meditation.

Picture of my classmates one morning in Alicante

"Let go of your sorrows, let go of your worries. That is the secret of walking meditation."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Heal Emotional Wounds - Meditation

  

Sat Kriya is said to be one of the most powerful meditations from Kundalini yoga. It balances the chakras, mostly the three lower ones, massages the organs, strengthens the nervous system and the heart. It is said to protect the body from illness, heal mental imbalances and is an effective way to overcome fears and heal emotional wounds, as far back as childhood traumas.

Sat Nam is one of the most common mantras, connecting us with our consciousness as well as with universal truth. Sat Nam is sanskrit and translates to, I am truth or truth is my identity.

Keeping the arms straight stretching up also become a practice for strengthening the mind. Mind over matter, unless you experience any sharp pain of course. Keep going for one minute if you are a beginner and gradually work up to an optimal time of 3 minutes up to 7, 11, 22 or 31 minutes

Photo by Saara Oinonen

• Sit on your heels, alternatively in another position if this is uncomfortable.

• Reach your arms up above your head. Keep the arms straight with the upper arms hugging your ears. 

• Interlace all fingers except the index fingers, pointing up towards the sky. Females cross left thumb over right, men cross right thumb over left. 

• Close the eyes and keep your gaze and focus between the eyebrows, at the location for the third eye.

• As you inhale through the mouth chant Sat, drawing the navel up and back towards the spine.

• As you exhale through the mouth, almost like a sight, chant Nam and relax the belly (Naaaam).

• Keep the exhalations longer than the inhales and repeat in a pace that feels comfortable and natural. 

• To finish, inhale deeply, engage the root lock and draw the energy up from the root all the way to your fingertips and hold the breath. Exhale to slowly release the arms. 

• It is optimal to relax in Savasana, final relaxation pose, for the same amount of time you sat in meditation. 

The truth in me acknowledges the truth in you. 

Namaste

Meditation to Break Free

Kritan Kriya meditation, also called Sa Ta Na Ma meditation, is one of the most important and powerful meditations in Kundalini Yoga. Yogi Bhajan has said that if you are only going to practice one meditation, this is it! 

Effects: 

-Cleanses the subconscious mind

- Heals emotional wounds 

- Helps break negative habits and addictions 

- Reduces stress

- Supports mental and emotional balance

This meditation is 11 minutes long and you can either use a timer or find a song on youtube or spofify, by writing Sa Ta Na Ma, to help you keep track of time. To begin, find a comfortable crosslegged seat with the hands on the knees, palms facing the sky. 

- Chant Sa, touch thumb and index finger

 -Chant Ta, touch thumb and middle finger

- Chant Na, touch thumb and ring finger

- Chant Ma, touch thumb and little finger

- 2 Minutes chanting out loud

- 2 Minutes whispering

- 2 Minutes chanting the mantra silently

- 2 Minutes wispering

- 2 Minutes chanting out loud

Remain seated for a while and enjoy the stillness and the notice any effects of your meditation.

Namaste, the light in me sees the light in you!

   Photos by Saara Oinonen

Meditation to Turn on Your GPS

"INTUITION... 
is the gps of the soul... 

.. is yours turned on??"

• Set a timer for how long you wish to meditate, from three minutes up to a recommended time of 10-20 minutes. Remember that a little meditation is way better than no meditation at all!

• Find a comfortable seat to begin with. Place the palms together in front of the heart with the fingertips touching. Lower the thumbs pointing down and widen the distance between the palms bending the index fingers. 

• Close the eyes and bring your awareness to the point between the eyebrows, the location for the third eye chakra, the seat for our intuition.

• Begin to visualize an indigo or purple spinning wheel of energy at the forehead as you chant the mantra OM silently to yourself to center your awareness.

• Whenever you notice your awareness being elsewhere, be gentle and as non-judgmental as possible towards yourself and bring the awareness back to the spinning wheel of purple color and chanting the mantra. 

• When the timer goes of, bring the palms together and notice what the energies in the body feel like at the moment. To complete the meditation you can end with inhaling deeply and as you exhale chant the mantra OM out loud.

Thank yourself for taking the time to turn on your inner GPS and dare to trust it. 

Namaste!

Candle Gazing Meditation

Candle gazing meditation, also known as Trataka has many benefits including improving eye sight, vision and concentration. Therapeutic benefits include reducing headaches, migraines and insomnia. 

All you need is to find a calm space where you can relax, maybe a pillow or two for seated support, a candle and matches. Before you begin place the candle in front of you so that you can sit in a comfortable position with your chin slightly lowered as you gaze at the flame. Make sure you don't have to turn your neck to keep your focus on the candle. 

Photo taken by Saara Oinonen, at Wasa Yoga Center

• Begin with the eyes closed and take a few deep breaths to find your focus and to calm the mind. If your mind is restless you can count down from 21 as you breathe to steady the mind. Once you reach zero, slightly open the eyes. 

• Allow the breath to become natural as you keep a soft yet steady gaze on the candle flame. 

• Whenever you notice the mind wandering, gently bring your awareness back to the present moment, to observing the flame. 

• Once your eyes start to water or it becomes uncomfortable to keep them open, close the eyes but try to keep the image of the burning flame. Bring the image of the flame to the point between the eye brows, the location for the third eye, burning away any impurities blocking your vision and true potential. 

• When the image of the flame naturally fades away, begin to bring your awareness back to your breath. 

• Slowly open the eyes when you are ready, optional to begin the process once again with gazing at the flame, or to end the meditation bring the palms together in front of the heart center.

• Thank yourself for taking the time to deepen your connection with your inner guidance, opening the third eye, burning through impurities to develop inner peace. 

Namaste

                                                                          

Meditation for Inner Silence - the Absolute Truth

A meditation to balance the throat chakra, associated with honesty, communication and expression of ones true self and authentic voice. 

To read more about the throat chakra, signs of balance and imbalance, click here. 

• Set a timer for how long your wish to meditate, from three minutes up to a recommended time of 10-20 minutes. However, a couple of minutes of meditation is better than no meditation at all!

• Find a comfortable pose, option to sit up on a rolled blanket or pillow. Lower the chin slightly towards the chest to create length in the spine.  

• Place the hands in your lap, interlace the fingers with the tips of the thumbs touching. Close the eyes to turn your awareness inwards.

• To begin, take a couple of sighing exhalations through the mouth and bring your awareness to the sensations in your throat. Allow your breath to become natural again and keep your awareness at the base of the throat, the location of the throat chakra. 

• Begin to visualize a clear blue turquoise spinning wheel of energy in the throat area. 

• Chant the mantra HAM to activate the throat chakra and to center your awareness. 

• Whenever you notice your thoughts wander, practice honestly observing them without trying to change or escape anything. then bring your focus back to the spinning turquoise cloud and to chanting the mantra silently to yourself. 

• When your timer goes of bring your palms together in front of the heart and thank yourself for meditating today.

Namaste

Loving Kindness Meditation

Check out this post on YOGOBE, where I lead you through a loving kindness meditation resulting in softening your heart towards yourself and cultivating a deep feeling of love towards everyone and everything around you. 

Inspired by a good friend of mine, Johannes Vondey

Heal your Heart Meditation

A meditation to heal your heart chakra,

for more information on the heart chakra, see previous blog post. 

• Set a timer for how long you wish to meditate, recommended time 10-20 minutes. If you are new to meditating, I advise you to start with shorter meditations and successively lengthen the time.
  
  
  
• Sit in a comfortable position, lengthen the spine and slightly lower the chin to chest, allowing the shoulders to drop down away from the ears.
  
  
  
• Place the hands in dhyana mudra, thumb and index finger touching on both hands. Rest the left hand on the knee and place the right hand in front of the breastbone. (If holding this mudra becomes to intense during the meditation you can lower down the right hand to the knee as well, but try to remain in the position for as long as possible even though the mind might start to resist it.)
  
  
  
• Close the eyes and begin to turn your awareness inwards, allowing the outside world to drift away.
  
  
  
• When you are ready, begin to visualize a spinning wheel of green energy at the center of your chest.
  
  
  
• Silently to yourself begin to chant the mantra YAM to activate the heart chakra.
  
  
  
• Whenever you notice your awareness had drifted of, gently bring your awareness back to the center of your chest, visualizing the green spinning wheel with the energy of love and compassion as you silently repeat the mantra, Yam, Yam, Yam.
  
  
  

"May your thoughts support yourself and all other beings,
may your words support yourself and all other beings,
may your actions support yourself and all other beings."


Namaste

Meditation for Self-Acceptance

A meditation for self-acceptance, to strengthen the solar plexus chakra.

For more information on the solar plexus chakra, click here.

• Set a timer for how long you wish to meditate, recommended time 10-20 minutes. If you're new to meditating, I advise you to start with shorter meditations and successively lengthen the time. 
  
  
  
  
• Sit in a comfortable position, drop the shoulders down away from the ears and slightly lower the chin to the chest to lengthen the spine. 
  
  
  
  
• Place your palms together, at the level of your navel. Keep the fingers straight with the fingers pointing away from you and cross the thumbs. 
  
  
  
  
• Close your eyes to turn your awareness inwards. Take a couple of deep breaths to anchor yourself in this moment and allow the outside world to drift away. 
  
  
  
  
• Begin to visualize a bright, golden yellow spinning wheel around the area of the navel, the location for the solar plexus chakra. 
  
  
  
  
• Chant the mantra RAM silently to yourself to activate solar plexus. 
  
  
  
  
• Accept the thoughts as they come and go, whenever you realize your mind has drifted away and gently bring your awareness back to repeating the mantra Ram, Ram, Ram, as you visualize the spinning wheel of bright sun golden energy behind your navel.
  
  
  
  
• When your timer goes of, take a moment to visualize the golden yellow energy to spread from your solar plexus chakra into every cell, filling you with light, love and self acceptance. 
  
  
  
  
• Gently open your eyes and bow to your inner light. Namaste. 

Emotional Balance Meditation

A meditation for emotional balance, to strengthen the sacral chakra

For more information on the sacral chakra, click here

• Set a timer for how long you wish to meditate, recommended time 10-20 minutes. If you're new to meditating, I advise you to start with shorter mediations and successively lengthen the time.
  

• If comfortable, sit on the heels for this meditation. Option to sit crosslegged if sitting on the heels bothers the ankles or knees.
  
  
• Lengthen the spine, slightly lower the chin towards the cheast and lower down the shoulders away from the ears.
  
  
• Place the hands on top of eachother in your lap, palms facing up. Left hand under the right with the tips of the thumbs touching eachother gently.
  

• Close the eyes and allow yourself to turn inwards, and take a couple of deep breaths to anchor yourself in this moment.
  
  
• Begin to visualize a bright orange spinning wheel bellow the belly button at your lower abdomen, the location for the sacral chakra.
  
  
• Chant the mantra VAM silently to yourself to activate the sacral chakra.
  
  
• Whenever you notice yourself being caught up in a thought or feeling, practice observing whatever arises without labeling it as "good" or "bad", "pleasant" or "unpleasant", it simply IS. 
  
  
• Instead of trying to get rid of a thought or feeling, be the observer and awareness behind it. If you need to, you can breathe with the feeling or observe a thought for a while before you gently bring your awareness back to silently repeating your mantra, Vam, Vam, Vam as you visualize the spinning wheel of orange energy at your lower abdomen.

Namaste

Root Chakra Meditation

A meditation to release frustrations and blockages from the Root chakra

For more information on Root chakra click here

Photo by Saara Oinonen

Set a timer for how long you wish to meditate, recommended time 10-20 minutes. If you're new to meditation, I advise you to start with less and successively lengthen the time you meditate.

Find a comfortable seat, feeling the sit bones anchoring you to the earth.

Lighten the spine, lower down the shoulders away from the ears.

Place the hands in dhyana mudra, thumb and index finger touching.

Close the eyes, calm the breath and begin to turn inwards. Giving yourself permission to be here now, in this space, at this time.

Begin to visualize a red spinning wheel at the base of the spine, at the location for the Root Chakra.

The sound or mantra of the Root chakra is LAM. Chanting Lam silently to yourself activates the Root chakra.

Whenever you notice your awareness has drifted of, gently bring your awareness back to silently repeating the mantra, Lam, Lam, Lam and visualizing the spinning wheel of red energy at the base of the pelvic floor. 

Happy Meditating!