Let’s talk about meditation..
When you book a session with me we will be doing a bit of meditation. Hopefully this doesn’t set off alarm bells or unleash the internal dialogue of “But I’m not a meditator!!!" …Trust me- I get it! Meditation can seem a bit overwhelming at first, and can seem daunting! But it really doesn’t have to be, and I want to introduce you to a form of meditation you will actually enjoy. It might take some trial and error- but we will get there I promise. I believe there is a meditation that is manageable dare I say even enjoyable for everyone.. It’s just a matter of fine tuning to get us to the right place.
Why does an Ayurvedic session include meditation? Well, as a mindfulness educator I am a true believer in it’s potential. I believe it is a great way to tap into the present moment so that we can transition from the rest of our busy lives into a more sacred space as we work together. It can assist you to clear and calm the mind. It allows you to better understand yourself, and on a deeper level. It allows you to have an awareness of your nervous system and it will set the ground work for our work this area. It’s hard to understand your nervous system without hands on practice identifying it within yourself, and we can’t work with it and help regulate it until you have some tools to practice with.
Do I expect you to develop a traditional TCM or Vedic practice as a result of our work together? No, but I want you to have enough experience with it that you can recognize if you are activated or have become dysregulated. I want you to have some strategies for bringing yourself back into a sympathetic state. And I’ll tell you this.. If I can teach 4 year olds how to harness their breath to calm their minds and bodies- I think you’ll manage just fine.
While there is traditional meditation where you sit in silence focusing the awareness on the inhales and exhales, there’s also lots of fun and creative guided meditations I can lead you through. I have been formally trained in many different types of meditation that I’ll share with you during our work together until we find something that just works! Here are a few different types of meditations we might to do together:
Body yantra: This is a fun one I learned from Katie Silcox, my Shakti School teacher. In this form of meditation you focus your awarness on two different points of the body, or on a specific part of the body and where it is physically in the space you are in. Our nervous systems love to know where we are in time and space, and it is a really simple practice to connect one side of your body to the nearest wall. By drawing an imaginary line in your mind between you and the wall, or between two body parts while breathing slowly you allow the body to settle all while giving it enough information to almost reset even the movement patterns and allow the body to move more freely and spaciously.
5 Senses: This is a gem from my classroom days, but it’s such an easy way to switch out of the thinking mind into a more regulated and calm state. If you, perhaps like me, tend to have a racing mind either future tripping into the world of chaotic possibilities, or not letting go of that thing you did one time that just plays on repeat in your brain.. this is the meditation for you. I will guide you to slow down and observe the different things you see, hear, feel and smell. Sounds simple, but the mind is seductive and the real work is finding these sensations that actually bring you pleasure and luxuriating in that moment, without getting caught in the inevitable narrative or storyline about the meaning or unrelated thought pattern- but to realy dial in to just the simplicity of observing and sensing and enjoying.
Yoga Nidra: This is one of my favorite forms of meditation that I like to share with my clients. Probably because we are all over worked and depleted, and this, by translation is yogic sleep. Like a nap you get to reward yourself with! It’s absolutely beautiful. I was trained by Tracee Stanley, a leader in this field, and I am honored to share this with you. The goal is bring the body into the liminal space between wake and sleep. It’s such a deep form of rest, but in only 20-30 minutes you can come out a new person. I will guide you through this practice, and often will send you off with an audio recording so that you can treat yourself to this practice at your leisure. It’s a gift, and I love sharing this restful practice.
Body scans: This is such an easy way to check in with yourself physically and emotionally. To help you learn the patterns of how you hold tension in your body, and where you might be gripping. A body scan is simple, yet so rewarding. I will guide you to gently observe and potentially release any tension that you are holding throughout your body. We’ll trace the different areas with our awareness and use our breath to truly soften the grip we may unintentionally be holding. The more you practice this one, the more you become aware of your tendencies and you will soon be able to shift the gripping and allow yourself to be a bit more soft and receptive with a conscious awareness.
EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique: This is one of my go to’s I want all my clients to be well versed in. This is a great practice for when you are feeling activated and want to intentionally downregulate and help shift your nervous system into sympathetic- rest and digest. I will guide you through using your pointer and middle finger to tap on different points on your body, while repeating a form of a mantra or phrase to help physically and mentally release the stuck feeling of your parasympathetic- fight or flight. Just like in accupunture where speciif points are activated, tapping or EFT using the same principe without the actual needles. By gently tapping these trigger points you can help shift yourself into a calmer state. We will start with assessing our levels from 1-10, and identify a few words to describe how we are feeling in the moment. When we finish we’ll reassess and without fail, there is always an increase in the data as well as a shfit in the emotions noticed! Amazing.
While this is just a taste of the different types of meditation you’ll get to experience in our work together, it’s really like a sampling for you to pick and choose your own approach. Meditation is a great tool to help soothe the nervous system, and a lifelong practice that you can continue to develop and strengthen. It’s a practice, something that will only improve with time- I can attest to it. I will typically use it as an opportunity to drop in at the beginning of our sessions, to check in with the breath, collect data of how we’re feeling so we have clarity and some groundedness as we work together. But ideally, it’s something you’ll take with you and enjoy- even share with your loved ones. If we can all learn to pause, check in and breathe deeply, think of how much of our chaotic nature would so easily be quelled.
