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Meditation and Yoga: Finding Your Inner Awareness

Therese M. Pope | May 8, 2008

As the Western world continues its hectic and frenzied pace, yoga can offer more than just a physical practice. Some students choose not to incorporate meditation into their yoga practice; however, traditional yogis believe that meditation goes hand-in-hand with yoga to achieve a harmonious awareness of body and mind.

Meditation is for Everyone – The “New” Yoga

Julie Zipper, a Los Angeles based yoga and meditation teacher, believes that meditation is the “new” yoga. She teaches her students how to deepen their practice by returning to its true origins—meditation.

Zipper fell in love with yoga from day one.

“Yoga was the first non-religious spiritual experience I had. Growing up, I had such an intense love for God, but did not feel drawn to organized religion. I was just out of college living in New York City. A very well known studio, Jivamukti, was right up the street from me. Something told me to check it out. They had a way of weaving this universal idea of spirituality into a very physical practice. I could get a good work-out and get my God on at the same time.”

Zipper teaches Anusara yoga, which is rooted in the Tantric philosophy (a non-dualistic approach to yoga). She teaches both adults and children.

She incorporates spiritual, meditative elements into her classes.

All of Life is a Spiritual Practice

“To me, all of life is a spiritual practice. You can’t separate the two. Each pose, each moment of our life, is a reflection of our internal thoughts and beliefs. When someone is bold enough to see the reflection, they have profound awakenings. They are not the emotions or experiences, but rather this infinite field of awareness that holds all these things. That’s powerful stuff!” she comments.

In her classes, she begins each class with the OM chant and an invocation chant.

“I love chanting. People gravitate towards auditory, visual or kinesthetic experiences. You may play into all three, but you will have a favorite. Lately, I have really gotten into teaching kids chants. They love it! Anything that kids celebrate I consider to be pure love.”

Although, Zipper touts the benefits of meditation, she thinks it’s up to the individual and their personal beliefs about practicing meditation.

“If someone is excited about yoga and into the physical benefits only, that is a wonderful thing. It doesn’t make any difference. Everyone is on their perfect path. It’s all connected. I support all yogis out there. You don’t have to meditate or be spiritual to have a joy-filled life. We all get to choose our path. I think the Gita says it best, ‘All paths lead to me.’”

Don’t be Scared to Meditate

Zipper shares that people are afraid to meditate because of the stereotypes of “how” meditation should or should not be practiced.

“People get scared off because they think they don’t have that ‘meditation lifestyle.’ They jump to the conclusions that they must change their life first or skip it altogether. Meditation is for everyone. Whether you are the quintessential party girl, West Hollywood playboy, a lawyer or a mom – everyone can benefit from meditation. When you say yes to something, the Universe supports you unfailingly.”

She advises that if you are drawn to meditation, you should try it (even if you are hesitant). Her passion for meditation came about in its own time. She tried many techniques and read a lot of books.

“The thing that finally clicked for me was when I listened to how my body and soul wanted to plug in. There is no right way or wrong way. Simply show up for yourself and begin to listen. Once you listen, take action. You know the way into you.”

For Zipper, yoga and meditation are interconnected.

“Yoga means union. It is a homecoming. You are right where you are supposed to be. You are in the perfect body, at the perfect time, having perfect experiences. If you can practice non-judgment and accept who and where you are, then this Unity (this homecoming) can take place.”

Raja Yoga and Meditation

Raja yoga (which translates to "royal yoga” and was known as Kriya yoga) was originally created by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Patanjaili’s Yoga Sutras open with "Yoga limits the oscillations of the mind.” The Yoga Sutras explain how to achieve a “seedless state,” where there is no mental object of focus and the mind is still.

Raja yoga is mainly centered on the mind and focuses on the Eight Limb Path:

Yama - self-restraint
Niyama - devotion to study/practice
Asana - integration of mind and body through physical activity
Pranayama - regulation of breath leading to integration of mind and body
Pratyahara - abstraction of the senses
Dharana – concentration
Dhyana – meditation (the quiet state that leads to samadhi)
Samadhi – the quiet state of blissful awareness

Francesca Vanegas, founder and program director of the Florida Yoga Institute (http://www.flayogainstitute.com/) focuses on Raja Hatha yoga in the extensive training she provides to teachers. The training combines both Eastern and Western traditions and offers a diverse curriculum including: asana, meditation, pranayama, anatomy and physiology, yoga history and philosophy, and business mastery.

Vanegas was introduced to yoga by her father at 7 years old. While seed of yoga was planted by her father, she found yoga again when she was faced with a life-altering personal crisis in 1990.

“I didn’t have a solid sense of understanding and everything I knew was shattered. There was something calling me to sit on that cushion and to meditate. It was a magnetic pull. Yoga and meditation became my refuge,” Vanegas reflects.

The Heart of Yoga is Meditation

Trained in the Kripalu and Forrest yoga systems, Vanegas believes that the heart of yoga is meditation.

“If you come from the perspective of Patanjali, the physical practice of asanas and breath work is just a prelude or warm-up to hours of sitting in meditation. It’s a way of preparing the body for union of self and spirit,” Vanegas explains.

If people are motivated to meditate, she advises them to find a book or tape that appeals to them or take a beginning meditation class. She also suggests taking five minutes a day to practice.

Learning to Meditate

“It’s a simple technique. Sit quietly. Observe and notice your breath. When the mind begins to wander, bring the mind back to the breath. If it wanders again, bring it back,” she advises.

There are many reasons people turn to meditation. According to Vanegas, meditation isn’t always about peace and tranquility though. Sometimes meditation can open up unresolved issues or anxiety.

“We are shining a spotlight on ourselves. We stop and finally notice what we are doing. We are becoming aware and opening our eyes to ourselves. A common visualization used in meditation is imagining your mind is like a little puppy. The puppy is all over the place and you are trying to make it sit. So what do you do? You bring the puppy back to you to sit. You don’t get inpatient or upset if the puppy wanders off, you simply bring the puppy back to sit with you until you teach the puppy to stay and sit. You are teaching your mind to sit—the puppy mind, as it is called,” Vanegas shares.

Chanting

Vanegas incorporates chanting into her teaching, but she mentions that not all teachers (or students) are comfortable with chanting. Many teachers are translating the Sanskrit chants into English so people are less intimidated by more traditional chants.

She mentions that chanting is actually a form of singing. It’s a part of yoga’s spiritual tradition, just like singing in the choir at a church is part of its spiritual tradition.

Vanegas also mentions that yoga and meditation, which was only offered to a secret society of men two thousand years ago, is now accessible to thousands of people across the world.

“To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness’. As with any art form or tradition, you may lose something in translation and yoga will undergo change. Yoga and meditation are being introduced to places it never would have been in the past.”

Whether it’s taking a class in a gym or a yoga studio or sitting quietly in meditation, there are many unique paths to take in the yoga journey.

“What is yoga? It is praying, chanting, kneeling, a man standing on one foot for hours at a time, or it could be pranayama. ‘All roads lead to Rome’. There are many different paths.”

The Power of OM – Basic Yoga Chant

OM is “the original primordial creative sound that the entire Universe has manifested.” It’s not a word but a sound.
Chanting OM will bring about a state of purity in body, mind and soul. It will help drive away material thoughts and release anxiety, tension and depression. It helps to focus and calm the mind and body.
How to chant OM – Use in conjunction with breathing: Inhale deeply through the nostrils and then as you exhale the breath, draw out the word OM (ooooooommmmmm) with the emphasis on the last part of the word. You want to concentrate on the resonance of the word and feel the vibrations of the sound moving through your mind and body as you chant. Repeat 3-4 times. You can chant OM at the beginning or end (or both) of your yoga practice. It’s a calming, harmonious way to both open and/or end your yoga practice.

Advice to Beginning Yogis

Vanegas offers a few tips to new yogis and advises to always respect the boundaries of your body. She also advises new students to take classes from certified, trained teachers and to research classes and teachers as well.

“The student is primarily responsible for the safety of his or her body. Also, be careful of ego. If you are a beginner, take easy, gentle classes. Also, explore different styles and different teachers. If you don’t like a class or teacher, look elsewhere,” Vanegas advises to beginning students.

Meditation is a Personal Experience

Meditation doesn’t need to be spiritual or profound. It can simply be sitting with yourself for five minutes, sitting in your garden, observing the beauty of nature as you hike, or closing your eyes in the car while stuck in rush hour traffic. Meditation doesn’t have to include a physical asana or hours of chanting. Meditation is your own personal experience.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Yoga
http://www.omsakthi.org/worship/mantra.html
Interviews: Julie Zipper and Francesca Vanegas