Veterans Yoga Project

Meditation is a practice by which we can become better acquainted with our own mental processes. The mind can be a great source of distress when it is out of our control. When we cannot slow it down, or direct it to do our bidding, the mind becomes a source of anguish and frustration. The practice of meditation allows us to gain control of the “monkey mind” so that we can use it to our benefit instead of allowing it to cause us distress. The practice of meditation gives us greater clarity and better control over our mental habits.

Audio files of some simple meditations will be posted soon.

A Simple Sitting Mindfulness Meditation

Find a comfortable sitting position. You can sit on a cushion on the floor or on a chair. If you sit in a chair, you are encouraged to make sure that your feet are flat on the floor and connecting you to earth. If it is comfortable for you, sit forward in the chair so that you are not leaning back on the back of the chair, avoiding a collapse in the spine or a rounding in the low back or shoulders. If that is not comfortable, you can sit back. If you are sitting on the floor, you can sit on a cushion with your legs crossed in front of you, and you can even sit with your back against the wall. Most important find whatever position will allow you to feel comfortable with your spine supported and alert for up to 30 minutes.

You can rest you hands wherever they feel the best. Either in your lap, one on each knee or whatever comfortable place you can find.

If it feels alright to close your eyes please do so, and if it doesn’t perhaps you can soften your gaze. You may choice the most comfortable and appropriate for you.

Then, when you are ready and are completely comfortable, allow yourself to notice the sensations of your breath.  Where ever you feel the breath most, just bring your attention there and notice the raw physical sensations.  For some people, this is the tip of the nostrils, for others it’s the inside of the nostrils or the bridge of the nose, maybe your lungs and chest. This is your exploration and I invite you to find where you feel your breath most.  Notice all of the physical sensations associated with each inhale and the raw physical sensations associated with each exhale. You may notice it feels soft and fuzzy like cotton or even has a velvety quality. You may notice it is cool on the way in and warm on the way out.

Just watch the breath without changing it, and without any judgment, accepting all aspects of your experience.  Simply observe the breath the way it feels right now, in this moment.

After a short while, it is likely that you will find that your mind has wandered away from the breath.  This is to be expected.  It is the nature of the mind to wander.  But we can become aware that the mind has wandered, maybe note where it went, and then gently, non-judgmentally bring the attention back to the inhale and the exhale. Instead of judging yourself when you become aware that the mind has wandered, take delight in each of the moments when your attention has been returned to this present moment. You will probably find that you spend a great deal of this time with your mind off somewhere else—thoughts, impulses, feelings, urges, ideas and images will all compete for your attention.  Each time, just simply allow your attention to return back to the raw sensations of the breath, in this moment.

Continue this practice of maintaining your attention on the breath for a pre-determined time period—usually 10 or 15 minutes for beginners, then up to 30 minutes or more as you get more practice.