Stop fighting with yourself.
So many people tell me: "I can't meditate. I sit down, close my eyes, and my mind won't stop." If that's you, you're not doing anything wrong. You may just be starting at the wrong end.
It was hard for me too
For a long time, traditional sitting meditation felt like a sacrifice to me. I sat, I tried, I fought my thoughts, and I got up more tense than when I started.
What changed it for me was active meditation.
Movement first, stillness after
Osho created the active meditations for people like us: modern people, living in a busy world, carrying a lot of tension and mental noise. His idea was simple. Ancient techniques were made for a very different kind of life. Today, most of us need to let things out before we can be still.
So active meditations start with the body, built on three pillars: breath, sound and movement. First you move, you breathe, you use your voice, and you let out what has been held. Then, without any effort, the stillness comes by itself.
Once that ground is cleared, any method of meditation becomes much easier.
All methods add up
This isn't about one technique being better than another. They all add up. If sitting still works for you, wonderful. If it doesn't, don't give up on meditation. Give up on fighting yourself, and start with movement.
Try this today
Put on a song you love and move freely for a few minutes. No steps, no mirror, no rules. Then lie down or sit, close your eyes, and just notice your breath for a minute or two. That's it.
Notice how different the stillness feels when it comes after movement.
Where to start at Kranti
Our classes start with the body too. Movement, breath and attention come first, and the quiet comes with them. Our community Power Yoga is every Tuesday at 6 PM, free on Zoom and $5 at our studio in Hamilton, Canada. And if you'd like to go deeper with the breath, the Rebirthing workshop is online every Tuesday at 7:30 PM.