Meditation involves training the mind to achieve a state of focused attention, mindfulness, and inner peace.
In an over stimulated world, meditation is a respite from the chaos that so often controls our lives. Practicing the art of meditation is like training a muscle, it is not something that can be perfected overnight, but an art form that with practice, can be honed and easier to achieve.
Meditation is about stillness and inner reflection, not blocking out feelings and emotions, but being aware of them and learning to observe them without judgement. The goal of meditation is to be present in the moment, aware of how you are feeling both physically and emotionally so that you may be better in tune with your body and mind, achieving a sense of contentment.
Whilst meditation is so unique to each individual and can be adapted to each person’s level of comfort and preference, meditation is often begun by sitting in a quiet place with your eyes closed, mind calm and focusing on the breath. This stillness of mind and body and focus on the breath allows all distractions and nagging thoughts to leave our minds, leaving us with our authentic thoughts and feelings. By training our minds to practice meditation we are cultivating awareness and compassion and training our minds to be less easily distracted, anchoring ourselves in the here and now.
The vata is the airy dosha. If this is the ayurvedic body type you identify with, you will likely be creative and imaginative. However, when it comes to ayurvedic meditation you may find your thoughts running away with you and your mind easily distracted.
If you are a vata dosha and struggle to find internal stillness we recommend using a grounding affirmation or mantra such as “I am focused, I am centred” to quieten your tornado of thoughts.
