Meditation 101 practices postures and pretty much everything in between

Would You Like to Hear About Meditation From Someone New?

Namaste! This is the first time I’ve allowed a Contributing Author to provide the content for a post on my website. I’m giving you a teaser from his blog on Meditation101: Practices, Postures, and Pretty Much Everything In Between. Jamal Bara is the owner and author of the Fitness Goat website. We started communicating after he saw my page on a class I teach about the similarities and differences among Meditation, Affirmations, and Creative Visualization.

I am sharing just an outline of his article here. Please do go to the link for his whole blog and the other interesting posts he provides on health and wellness topics.

Jamal talks about various kinds of meditation, meditation poses, the chakra system, the benefits and “downsides” of various modalities, and apps you can get to help you learn or practice meditation. Here are highlights which 1) will help you and 2) will motivate you to read his entire article and several other blog posts on his website. Note: my “Read More” function is not working, so just scroll down until you decide to stop.

Meditation 101 According to Jamal Bara

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a deliberate practice and one that requires your most quiet, mindful state. The word is tossed around a lot, but you may not exactly know meditation’s actual meaning or function. If asked, I would initial picture Yoda summoning the Force. Perhaps this is a form of meditation, but we’ll leave that for the galaxy.

Though meditation varies and splinters off into different styles of practices, it begins with one specific application—calming your mind. It also (hopefully) ends with a similar goal—restoring balance. The in-between is where you can customize your practice.

Types of Meditation

Vipassana meditation (observation of reality)
Float tank (sensory deprivation)
Guided meditation (instruction & response)
Chakra meditation (personal inventory)
Forest bathing (gentle wandering)

Benefits of Meditation

Lowers anxiety
Increases awareness
Mindfulness creates control
Being present in our bodies helps us appreciate its function

Meditation Postures

Sitting
Quarter Lotus (Burmese)
Full Lotus
Seated in Chair
Lying down
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Supta Baddha Konasana (Bolstered Hip Opener)
Mindful Movement

Meditation Apps

Jamal lists several apps to help you meditate, after this introduction.

Using apps on your phone may seem like it’s defeating the purpose of detaching and focusing, but I’m liking this option. I need the incentive to stay on task and build a habit. Whether that’s a monthly payment or simply seeing the app button on my home screen, I think we could all use a boost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are meditation and prayer the same thing?
When is the best time of day to meditate?
How long should I meditate?
Should I close my eyes?

That’s the end of Jamal’s blog content. Please contact him directly with questions. Meditation 101: Practices, Postures, and Pretty Much Everything In Between.

Contact me, if you have questions for me or if you want to schedule a class or consultation.

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