3 Simple Meditation Tips

April 2, 2018 Hot Off The Mat Meditation, Self Improvement Meditation, Yoga and Life

I am proud to share my yoga and meditation tips on Mango Health.

Meditation offers many health benefits, but it isn’t always easy to get started. Writer Shari Eberts struggled to commit to a meditation practice until she went to a yoga retreat and was introduced to three simple rules. Here she shares these key pieces of advice that helped her learn to meditate (and love it):

I had been trying to develop a meditation practice for about a year, but nothing had stuck. Then I attended a yoga retreat at a Japanese Buddhist Zen center in Colorado and when participants were invited to meditate with the monks, I jumped at the chance.

Many of the attendees were new to meditation, so the head monk gave a short talk on meditation the first night. He demonstrated how to sit, where to rest our hands, and provided three simple rules to follow.

1. Don’t move.

2. Don’t scratch.

3. Don’t invite your thoughts to tea.

It sounded simple, but upon further reflection, I realized each rule encompassed an entire philosophy.

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What Star Wars Taught Me About Using a Mantra

February 14, 2017February 13, 2017 Hot Off The Mat Meditation, Yoga and Life, Yogis That Inspire Me Meditation, Yoga, Yoga and Life

My family is obsessed with Star Wars. Yes, my son is eleven years old, but even without him, I have always been a sucker for an “underdog fighting for the freedom of the galaxy story.” So when the latest Star Wars film, Rogue One, came to theaters, we made sure we were there on opening night. Our expectations were high, but they were surpassed. And as with most things, I found a way to relate this experience to my yoga practice.

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Taking My Yoga Breathing Under Water

January 17, 2017January 9, 2017 Hot Off The Mat Meditation, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga, Yoga and Life

I enjoy snorkeling, but it also scares me. The unexpected cold when my body hits the ocean for the first time, the eerie underwater environment and the challenge of breathing through a snorkel combine to make the experience stressful. I often start off in a bit of a panic, with rapid breathing, a pounding heart, and my mind racing. I eventually calm down and take in the sights, but it can be exhausting.

On my most recent trip to the Caribbean, I decided to try a new approach — yoga breathing. It worked famously!

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Yoga in Times Square — Finding Calm Within The Storm

June 28, 2016June 28, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Meditation, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Meditation, Yoga, Yoga and Life

There is nothing like practicing yoga at Solstice in Times Square. Bodies are packed together, each person with his or her own brightly colored mat right on the street. Every race, religion, body type, and walk of life is represented. Spectators line the designated yoga area taking pictures with astonished looks on their faces. Tourists wave and cheer from passing tour buses. Horns are honking. Taxi drivers are yelling. Neon signs flash with light and movement. It is mayhem, yet the practice is calm — an island of stillness in an ocean of clamor and noise.

It is what yoga is all about.

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Meditation Is Hard!

May 3, 2016April 14, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Meditation, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Meditation, Yoga

I meditate every weekday morning before Bikram Yoga class. Twenty minutes of quiet and stillness, preparing me for another 90 minutes of the same. It’s peaceful and keeps me calm. It even helps with my tinnitus. I love my weekday morning ritual.

But weekend mornings are different. I sleep later. The kids are home. There’s breakfast to savor and coffee to enjoy. The newspaper is waiting to be read. Lovely morning rituals, but different. My schedule is thrown off. Sometimes I forget to meditate.