MEDITATION IN MOVEMENT
Many people imagine meditation as being boring, quiet, and still. Though some meditation practices look like this, there are other forms of meditation that are almost the opposite. One type of meditation that contradicts this view of meditation is movement meditation.
What is movement meditation?
Movement meditation is when you move through various postures or movements with a mindful and slow pace. The key to movement meditation is being mindful when you move. If your movements lack mindfulness, then you are simply moving.
Movement meditation is great for connecting your mind and body. If you struggle with identity or feeling like you belong in the world, movement meditation may be a meditation technique that might help.
Being mindful while you move may be weird at first, but you will soon get used to it as you practice. You can begin by thinking about how your body feels. Do any muscles hurt? What feels good? Can you feel your breath? These sorts of questions can help you draw awareness to yourself in a mindful way.
You can also draw attention to how things interact with your body. Feel the floor. Is it hard or soft? Hot or cold? These questions can help you feel grounded in your world and better understand your relationship with it.
Movement meditation in practice
Once you become comfortable with being attuned with your body and world, you can begin to do movement meditations. These meditations will take a lot of practice and work to execute perfectly, so be kind to yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes.
You should begin your movement meditations by sitting comfortably and paying attention to the breath. Once you feel comfortable, put your hands on your body, and feel your hands move with your breath.
From here, you can do any movement you like. One popular movement is standing up. Feel how your muscles move and support your weight. As you stand up, go at your own pace and listen to your body.
Once you are standing up, feel your feet firmly in the ground. Try to activate your legs and core while placing your weight on all four corners of your feet. This stance will feel awkward at first, but try to fight through the feeling.
Reach up with one hand like you are picking fruit. Notice how your shoulders extend as your elbow straightens. Is there any tension? How does your blood flow feel going up your arm? Now repeat with your other arm.
Once you are ready, put both hands down and start to move around the room. You can move in any way you like. Notice how your legs feel now that they are no longer activated. After moving for a bit, sit back down and compare how you felt at the beginning to how you feel now.
Popular Asanas
An asana is a body posture that involves sitting in some way. Yoga classes are often a series of asanas strung together in a flow. Asanas can be a great way to practice movement meditations, especially if you want to challenge the strength, endurance, or flexibility of your body.
One of the most popular asanas is adho, or downward-facing dog. Downward dog is when your hands and feet are on the ground while your back is extended and hips reaching upwards. You can get in downward dog by going to a plank position. From there, leave your hands and feet where they are, but lift your hips backward and upwards.
Another popular asana is balasana, or child's pose. Child's pose is when you are folded over your thighs. You can get in child's pose by sitting on your heels, and then folding over until your chest rests on your thighs. You can choose to put your hands above or behind you.
Shavasana is another popular asana. Shavasana is known as corpse pose because it involves laying on your back with your arms and legs extended and relaxed, much like a corpse. This pose is easy enough to get into, but it can be difficult to remain mindful during, making it a difficult pose.
When doing asanas, you can either do one asana at a time, or you can string asanas together to create a flow. Either way, it is crucial to stay attuned and mindful of your body. Asanas without mindfulness are just motions.