Meditation – Fitness for the Inner Witness
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“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak’ – in an ideal world, that’s the impact of mediation. However, getting to that stage can often be struggle, and many give up before they’ve even given it a chance – thinking that ‘stilling the mind’ is next to impossible. Lucky for us Lumi teacher Pete Cherry has been practicing meditation for years and recently brought a new class to the studio called Prana & Meditation – a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation. A teacher now for over seven years, Pete trained under the renowned Erich Schiffman in California, after his wife suggested he take the plunge. As his practice deepened, so did his fascination with pranayama (breathwork). Fast forward several years, and meditation is now a core part of his teaching, workshops and daily life.
So for those of us who love the idea of meditation but don’t know where to start or just don’t know what all the fuss is about, we asked Pete to break down the meditation myths and give up the goods on the power of meditation.
We all know meditating is good for you, but why is it really so important?
It’s an opportunity to investigate who we truly are and what the hell we are doing here! That’s what I find that endlessly fascinating. What’s more is the countless health benefits – You name it, meditation practice can help you with it. It lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, boosts your memory, concentration and sexual function. It also makes you look on average about 5-10 years younger, so that can’t hurt! The only thing you have to do is practice…
One of the main challenges people have with mediation is focusing, how can people overcome that?
The early stages of learning to meditate can indeed be very frustrating. The mind can (and will!) go off on all sorts of tangents. The important thing to remember is that this is all part of the process. Just as most people can’t flip into the splits on day 1 of asana practice, the vast majority of people will struggle to concentrate for more than a few minutes when starting meditation. Give yourself a chance to improve: the benefits really are worth sticking it out.
Many people find it hard to fit anything else into their daily lives, is it a big commitment?
It is a commitment yes if you want to make progress in the same way as you do on your Yoga mat but don’t be put off by that. It is also a commitment to give up smoking but that’s worth the struggle. In the beginning, I would start with at least 12 -15 minutes a day.
What’s the biggest myth about meditation?
That you have to still your mind. The mind will do what it wants to do, your job is simply to observe and at times return your focus to the object of meditation. People sometimes think that they don’t have the right sort of mind or personality for it because they struggle with being still. ANYONE can learn this, it only requires patience and determination.
How can it enhance your yoga practice?
Yoga asana is simply a meditation in movement. Yoga asks you to bring a sensitive and aware mind to the body so that you can enter more deeply into the feeling of your own self in any given moment. That might sound rather grand but really when we are fully present with ourselves, just for that moment, nothing is missing. That nagging voice that wants us to be anywhere but where we are is absent, if only for a second or two.
That is actually momentous, as it flips the notion that we need something external to make us happy, on its head. The Buddha says that meditation on the body leads to a happy life in the here and now and ultimately, it will lead to the culmination of wisdom itself. In this way, over time, the sense of an “I” performing a posture begins to loosen its hold and the whole practice becomes a flow of breath and body together. A grounding in formal seated meditation makes the business of concentration in asana so much more rewarding and profound.
You’ve started a new class at Lumi Power Yoga, how is it different from the other classes you’ve taught?
I get to teach pranayama at a much deeper level than I normally do in a vinyasa class. I like to take my time building up the breathing exercises and with the evening class there is a sense that we are all slowing down a little bit together in a very nice and natural sort of a way.
The class is a combination of meditation, breathwork and asana yoga. What should yogis expect and walk away with?
Students should expect about 35 minutes of warm up asana to get the body nice and open. We then sit for 25 minutes for our breathing exercises and finish with a 20 minute meditation. The breathing exercises are great because they really help to bring a sense of quiet to the whole system. They can really take you very deep into this feeling if you practice them regularly so this is a great chance to get started. I guide the class through the meditation so all the yogis have to do is listen to the instructions. Hopefully see you all soon and wish you nothing but love and luck with your practice. Namaste.
Don’t miss Pete’s Power Yoga followed by Meditation class every Thursday evening at 6:00pm. And if you’d like to strengthen your meditation practice, sign up for his Introduction to Pranayama workshop with on 11th April: http://bit.ly/1tKMhiY
You can also follow Pete on twitter: @peteclearmind1