- Simple 5 Point Meditation:
Begin in easy pose (sitting cross legged with straight spine and chin parallel to floor), palms face up, resting on your lap.
Take a couple of deep breaths and set your intention.
Then begin by focusing your attention on each of the following each body parts for 1 minute each until you feel a tingling sensation of each part or until you feel them relax completely:
1. Soles of your feet
2. Palms of your hands.
3. Corners of your mouth
4. Corners of your eyes
5. Inner ears
Then take your attention to the center of your brow and focus on the silence and stillness within.
That silence is you, the witness of all your experiences and thoughts.
Get curious about this 3rd eye point, try to experience yourself free of thought.
2. Yoga Nidra is one of the most restorative meditation practices. Follow this guided meditation. You will find Tripura Mandala has many more like this on YouTube. Check out the others.
3. Kirtan Kriya – This meditation was used in a study at UCLA where they showed that it had significant impact on reversing the shortening of teleomers, a key indicator of stress and aging. You can read about it Here:
“In another study conducted at UCLA, a group of thirty-nine dementia caregivers with the average age of 60 participated in a chanting meditation called, kirtan kriya for just 12 minutes a day, for eight weeks. They compared this group with another group that listened to relaxing music. The chanting meditation group showed improvement in depressive symptoms, improved mental health and cognitive function compared to the group that listened to relaxing music. The meditation group also showed a 43% increase in telomerase activity compared to the group that listened to relaxing music! (4)”
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine, and chin parallel to floor but slightly in so your neck is long. Wrists are on the knees, arms and elbows straight, index finger touches the thumb.
Eyes: gaze is at the tip of the nose
Mantra and hand position(mudra): Chant Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa. With each sound, alternate the finger tips to the thumb, relax the jaw.
- On Saa, touch the first finger to the thumb
- On Taa, touch the second finger to the thumb
- On Naa, touch the third finger to the thumb
- On Maa, touch the fourth finger to the thumb
Each repetition of the mantra takes 3 to 4 seconds. This is the cycle of Creation. From the Infinite (Saa) comes life and individual existence (Taa). From life comes death or change (Naa). From death comes the rebirth of consciousness to the joy of the Infinite (Maa) through which compassion leads back to life.
In Kirtan Kriya you first chant out loud, then chant with a strong whisper, then mentally vibrate the mantra. To complete Kirtan Kriya you reverse the sequence, continuing silent chanting, then whispering, then chanting out loud.
4. Alternate nostril breathing:
Posture: Sit with a straight spine. You may be in Easy Pose or on a chair, wherever you can keep your spine straight and be comfortable.
Hand placement and Breath: Using the thumb and ring fingers of the right hand, make a “U” of the two fingers by bringing the index and middle fingers to touch the palm of the hand. Then use the thumb to close off the right nostril and the ring finger to close off the left nostril.
Close the left nostril, and inhale deeply through the right nostril for a count of 5. At the end of the inhale, close the right nostril, hold for 5 counts (both nostrils closed) and exhale through the left nostril for 5 counts.
Now inhale through the left nostril fully and deeply for 5 counts, then close the left nostril and hold 5 counts, then exhale through the right one for 5 counts.
Again, inhale through the right nostril and continue alternate nostril breathing. The breath must be complete and full on both the inhalation and exhalation cycles.
Time: Continue for 3 – 5 minutes.
To End: Inhale deeply, hold the breath a few seconds, lower the hand, and exhale.
Experience the peacefulness.
