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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Should You Always Listen To Your Yoga Teacher?

March 14, 2017February 13, 2017 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Life

I was visiting family in California recently so had the chance to practice at a nearby Bikram yoga studio. I had been to this studio before and always enjoyed my classes there. This time was no different, except that the teacher was giving me corrections that I did not understand. I usually enjoy learning from new teachers and am open to all sorts of adjustments, but this time it just felt wrong. I did not know how to do what she was asking me to do or even what exactly she was asking me to try.

I felt uncomfortable so I decided to disregard her comments and continue on with my practice as is. It felt strange doing so. She did not seem to be bothered by it, so I relaxed, but it got me thinking — should you always listen to a yoga teacher when he or she gives you a correction?

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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 Helps Me Put My Own Mask On First

October 18, 2016September 28, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Life

I always chuckle during the airline safety announcements when they get to the part about putting your own mask on first before assisting others. There is usually an image of a smiling woman putting on her mask while her grinning children sit waiting patiently for assistance. When I was younger, this seemed reasonable, but once I began flying with my own children, I started to find it amusing. First of all, children don’t sit quietly smiling on airplanes (at least not mine), but more importantly, I wondered if I would be able to do it — leave my children without oxygen while I fiddled with getting my own sustenance in place.

The more I thought about it, the more it reminded me of my Bikram yoga practice.

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Mixing Up My Yoga This Summer

September 20, 2016September 6, 2016 Hot Off The Mat Class Experiences, Postures, Self Improvement, Yoga and Life Bikram, Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Life

I love summer. Overseas travel, lazy days in the country. A respite from the daily grind. But also from my regular Bikram yoga practice. I usually practice 4 – 5 days a week during most of the year, so summers are disruptive. Especially this summer, since I couldn’t find any Bikram yoga studios where I was traveling (usually I try to squeeze in some classes when I am away) and my now tween/teenager kids were less excited to attend the day camp near the closest Bikram yoga studio upstate. Leaving my children home for the 3 hours it would take to attend class (including showering and travel time) was hard to justify.

I didn’t want my yoga practice to suffer so I needed to mix it up. It turned out to be a very good thing.