Last month, I had the honor of co-hosting a yoga retreat in the Penedès Mountains in Spain. During the opening circle, we asked participants to tell us a little about themselves, including how long they’ve been practicing yoga and meditation. Yoga experience in our group ranged from a few weeks to over 30 years, but only a handful said they meditated regularly.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and last Tuesday was World Meditation Day. This day, which falls on May 21 each year, advocates for and celebrates the practice of meditation as a tool that has supported health and well-being for thousands of years. As a yoga practitioner, I’ve studied and practiced sitting (and sometimes with some discipline) since my college days. But, as we all know, life is complicated. Since becoming a mother, partner, educator, and someone navigating life with a traumatic brain injury, meditation has presented itself a little differently for me.
I understand when people say, “Meditation isn’t for me.” The way meditation is sometimes presented often feels not particularly accessible. If you think of meditation in a prescribed way—in an uncomfortable sitting position, completely still, with eyes closed, with a “calm mind,” on a fancy meditation cushion, in a quiet room, for a set amount of time, undisturbed (you get the idea)—it may not seem like a realistic fit within the chaotic fabric of our daily lives. Meditation can certainly look that way, and there is a rich ancient history and science that supports the value that regular, quiet sitting in meditation can have on the body, mind, and spirit. I have personally experienced many of the benefits of classical meditation throughout my life. But I believe it’s possible to broaden our perspective and make meditation more accessible, while still respecting the roots and intent of this ancient tradition.
If you want to incorporate zazen into your routine, the first step in making the practice accessible is to let go of long-term expectations (start with 3 to 5 minutes) and, perhaps most importantly, find a position that’s comfortable. Consider the options outlined by Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga School, in her latest Yoga Journal article, “4 Familiar, Comfortable Zazen Postures for Meditation.”
But proper meditation practice doesn’t have to involve sitting at all. You can meditate lying down, standing, still, or on the move. Meditation qualities can be found in walking, biking, rowing, swimming, baking, gardening, making art or music, dancing, sitting by still water, gazing up at a cloudy sky, or watching a bonfire burn. Mindfulness meditation practice can take many forms. By definition, Aware Picture yourself in this moment. This may sound simple, and in theory it is, but think about how much of our days are spent in our minds.few Autopilot, thinking about the next thing rather than what is in front of us. When we notice we are distracted, when we remind ourselves to bring our attention back to what is here, over and over again, we are practicing mindfulness. Traditional meditation, even a few minutes a day of practice, can help us cultivate this skill by gently returning our attention to our breath, a focus, a mantra, a place of physical contact, or other sensory input. But we can also practice this skill while washing our hands, tucking our children to bed, taking a walk in the woods, or listening to a friend talk. This is the purpose of our meditation practice at the end of the day. all Not just moments of quiet solitude, but moments we have lived through.
During one day trip during the retreat, we hiked to the top of Montserrat, a rocky mountain with a thousand-year-old monastery built on its slopes. It was a wonderful “peak moment” for all of us. At one point, the path became unpredictable and some of the group became unsure of their footing and wondered if they would make it to the top. Our guide stopped and told us, “Hiking isn’t about getting from point A to point B. It’s about being in all the spaces in between. For now, don’t think about the celebratory beers you’ll have at the bar in the late afternoon, or how you’ll feel when you reach the top. Just Wherever you are “One step at a time.” After all, isn’t that what life is all about? In all the spaces in between.
Routines are undoubtedly important for health and happiness, but our meditation and mindfulness practices should be fluid and ever-changing, just like ourselves, to accommodate the ups and downs of life. That way, we can live a more fulfilling life, not just in the high moments, but in the valleys and all the little hills and rocky roads in between. Today, on this day that is not World Meditation Day, on any other day of the year, I invite you to Wherever you areWhatever that means to you, explore meditation in whatever form it manifests for you. this A particular season of life.
Alli Crowell is RYT-200 and owner of RISE Yoga in Gettysburg. She has 15 years of experience in K-12 education and currently works part-time as an instructional coach supporting teachers and school leaders across the United States. She is 200-hour Yoga Alliance certified as well as certified in Children’s Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Accessible Yoga, and trains as a facilitator through the Love Your Brain Foundation, a leader in research centered on the benefits of yoga and mindfulness for the brain injury community. Alli is a recent graduate of the Accessible Yoga School, a program centered on equity and accessibility in yoga instruction.
