Photo by: Brandon Smith

“Yoga is the settling of mind into silence, and only when the mind is silent can we realize our true nature, the effortless Being of the self.” -Patanjali Yoga Sutras

There is no doubt that the “digital age” is upon us, affecting our mind, body and spirit.  Physically, we are living in a desk-driven society and sitting more than ever. This causes stiffness and muscular weakness particularly in the back and neck. Mentally, we are more agitated from interacting in a fast-paced and over-stimulated world. This leads to insomnia, digestive issues, and dysfunctional breathing patterns. Spiritually, as outside demands continually increase, we begin to lose touch with nature and our inner spirit, often times forgetting who we are and what we really want. 

Yoga is a timeless practice that has the ability to address, and accommodate your every need. Many people start yoga for the physical benefit of the postures, but over time they begin to realize that yoga is more than just postures, it is a way of life. 

Although born in the land of India, yoga has spread globally and it is beneficially impacting everyone regardless of race, culture, religion, politics, and/or financial status.  The yogis teach that every human being is comprised of body, mind and spirit, and that each of these elements have their own unique desires. The body desires health, the mind desires knowledge and the spirit desires inner peace. The goal of yoga is to individually address and satiate each of these desires while simultaneously expanding one’s reality towards greater degrees of freedom, compassion and love. 

The deepest understanding of yoga is that it is an alignment to your best self.

Unfortunately these days, when you look around at yoga, it is often identified as a  “work-out” or a “stretch”, but it is really so much more.  

The West usually centers yoga around the practices of asana (postures), while the East centers yoga around the practices of philosophy and meditation. The good news is that modern lifestyles are becoming more expansive and open-minded, and as a result both eastern and western practices are being adopted. A little bit of both perspectives could be the trick to more radiant health, a stronger and more stable mental disposition and an overall sense of well being. 

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Photo by: Brandon Smith

Meditation is no longer a new age, hippie or eccentric concept.  It is now a common household practice that people embrace to help maximize the best outcomes of their lives. 

The field of neuroscience now demonstrates the amazing benefits of meditation: enhanced memory and creativity, reduction in depression, better sleep, compassion towards self and others, and an overall more relaxed disposition (to name a few).  It is true, meditation makes life better.  

Meditation is sometimes referred to as a restful alertness. Fundamentally, it is a journey from a lot of activity to less activity. It is a process and a practice of attempting to go beyond the conditioned, “thinking” mind and into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. 

By turning your attention to a single point of reference, or focal point, you can train the mind to discover the unbounded and vast inner spaces that lie under thought.

Natural vs Artificial practices

There are two categories of meditation: natural (aktrima) and artificial (krtima).  According to the great sage Abhinavagupta, both are necessary. Aktrima practices work with your innate inner silence, and ktrima practices work with effort or the thought that something needs to be done. Ktrima practices could include: reflection, prayer, contemplation, visualization, walking and/or eating.

Some of the biggest misconceptions around meditation include: I can’t stop my thoughts, I have no skill or talents in that area, I am too busy to meditate, I tried it one time and nothing happened.  

My teacher says, that in order for a meditation to be successful, you need to have the “theory” or deep understanding of the practice, as well as, the practice itself.  You can’t have one without the other.  Often times people want to meditate because they have heard it is beneficial, but because they don’t understand the “nuances” it becomes challenging and/or frustrating.   

In this world of constant challenge and change, meditation is the antidote.  It is a “practice” that trains your mind to settle down, and enables you to discover that there is a place inside of you, that is NOT constantly changing. The place inside that Deepak Chopra describes as: “the silent field of infinite possibility”. 

This place inside of you, is really the better version of yourself that you may be seeking.  It is the change-less place that will stabilize, strengthen and calm you, so that you can be in the world with more well-being and harmony. It is the place that is located under the inner narrative. By learning how to "tap" into this place you can restore health, purify your heart, strengthen your spirit and bring more compassion to yourself and others.

Meditation is a “natural” activity that all humans need especially in this stressful modern day world.  It has been proven that it works, and you can see benefits immediately.   However you might read or hear about meditation, it will always be an experiential journey and never an intellectual one. You must give it a genuine try and be the judge for yourself.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard