Listen to Meditation PreparationI want to show you how to prepare for meditation and do so successfully. Last week I reached a personal milestone: 1,008 consecutive days of meditation. Although I've meditated regularly for over a decade, I've never fully committed to a daily sadhana (practice). It was not for lack of interest; I knew the benefits of meditation. But I did not understand exactly how transformative a daily routine would be versus something I "fit in" a few days a week. The results of my daily sadhana are not only perceptible on my face, but in every aspect of my life. I've achieved great things over the last 1,008 days, wrote a book for diabetes, brought my A1c levels down consistently under 6.5%, and gracefully navigated through significant challenges and losses. I share my story with you to encourage you to do the same and I want to show you how. It is a no-brainer that meditation is beneficial; however, many do not know how to practice, or they have tried only to give up after a few days, weeks, or even months later. To those people, I ask, "Are you preparing for meditation"? Yes, prepare. Most likely they aren't. Just as you would warm up before exercise to avoid injury, maximize performance, meditation also requires preparation. Otherwise, it can be an uncomfortable and fruitless endeavor. Complete meditation practice trains the mind to turn away from worldly distractions, become established subtle aspects of awareness, and eventually transcend all objects to abide in the one, eternal truth. On a more practical level, meditation helps us look at ourselves from a different perspective, overcoming obstacles, making better choices, irradicating stress, and receiving more joy from life experience. Let's be realistic; we do not always have time to do all the physical and breathwork to prepare to sit. Because of this, people often skip practice altogether. I want to show you how to prepare with a quick and easy method to maximize your meditation experience. The sages knew that the way to enter the state of meditation was to use the breath to still the mind. It is a process called prana dharana. Prana—the vital force—travels in the body on the wave of the breath. Dharana means concentration in Sanskrit. The breath sensitizes the mind to prana, and thorough attention, allows the mind to perceive what is otherwise invisible. When you meditate on the breath, you notice that the breath's jerkiness and strain correspond with mental distractions. According to Swami Rama, "Those who do not want to practice pranayama can still practice meditation, but without breathing awareness, a deep state of meditation is impossible." A Practice to Prepare for Meditation - Prana Dhanana
Steps of meditation prep:
4 Comments
7/20/2022 12:46:04 pm
Your Blog is very nice.
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7/20/2022 12:50:43 pm
When you meditate on the breath, you notice that the breath's jerkiness and strain correspond with mental distractions. I truly appreciate your great post!
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4/19/2023 03:20:11 am
thank you
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AuthorEvan Rachel Soroka Archives
November 2021
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