At Home Yoga with Laura

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Meditation on Art

A week ago, I attended a most relaxing, inspiring workshop, "A Mediation on Morandi," at the Phillips Gallery in Washington, DC. The program blended instruction and information about the basics and essence of meditation with a presentation of the contemplative still life art work of Italian artist, Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964).

Instructors Jim Goodwin and Erin Wilhem (both of whom have wonderful, mellifluous voices!) guided the participants through several meditations, the last of which gave us an opportunity to contemplate on a Morandi painting that we felt particularly drawn to.  Workshop participants reported results from the various meditations that included relief from tension, reduced pain in certain parts of their bodies where they had discomfort, and new perspectives in their perception of the art work.  I personally noticed that colors seemed brighter and bolder when we meditated on a group of vases and bottles for a few minutes. Morandi used to spend hours or days meditating on such items before painting them.

After the workshop, I realized that I could adapt and adopt some of the techniques and information provided to add variety and more beauty to my  meditation practice.  Reflecting on a piece of art can enhance the soothing aspects of meditation.  It's fun and easy.  

One technique you can incorporate into your meditation practice is to select a piece of artwork you have in your home or office - a print, a poster, or even a postcard of a piece of art.  I have numerous postcards of Impressionist paintings that I have picked up during my various treks to the National Gallery of Art displayed around my office cubicle.  Choose a painting that especially relaxes or energizes you.  For example, I like Renoir's painting, "Monet Painting in His Argenteuil Garden."

Before you start to meditate on the piece of art, get still, perhaps do a few alternate nostril breaths to totally relax and just gaze upon the art work.  Place yourself in the scene and notice the myriad colors and their intensity, imagine the mood of the artist while painting the work as well as the mood evoked by the work, listen for any sounds that would likely emerge from the scene while inhaling and exhaling gently and deeply.  Close your eyes and just listen and continue breathing deeply and quietly.  Continue this for your mediation period (mine is usually 10-15 minutes).

At the very least, you will feel deeply relaxed.  You may also gain a greater understanding of the painting's meaning and what the artist was trying to say and insights that you can apply to your life when you go about your daily business.  It's just another simple meditation to soothe your soul.

Wisdom of the Day:  "One can travel the world and see nothing.  To achieve understanding, it is necessary not to see many things, but to look hard at what you do see."~Giorgio Morandi

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: More on Meditation for Beginners

One of the key challenges of meditation is just sitting down to do it.  One reason I didn't keep up with transcendental meditation during college was that I could never seem to steal away to do the afternoon segment,  Too much was usually going on campus and I didn't want to appear weird by telling people I had to return to the dorm room to do TM.  Thus, my afternoon sessions were intermittent. 

However, we should be able to carve out a few minutes at least once daily to just go apart and sit in the silence.  If you take the time, really make the time, you will discover that the additional awareness and insights you receive over time or even daily, will more than offset the time you took from your schedule to sit in the silence. 

As with hatha yoga practice, think about when you can schedule the time with the least risk of interruption.  Again, for me it's mornings.  I either do 10-15 minutes of meditation when I first wake up before getting out of bed or shortly after finishing my hatha yoga practice.

What can you expect?  If you have never meditated and are a intense, active person who feels compelled to be on the move constantly, you will likely feel restless and nervous.  Your mind  may jump to a thousand places. Sometimes it can seem scary, even terrifying to sit along by yourself in total silence.  Maybe you dislike being by yourself.  Well, if you can't stand spending 10-15 minutes alone with yourself, how can you expect other people to spend time with you?  Think about that.

I believe the best way to view meditation time is as your personal "being" time, a part of the day when you give yourself a respite from cares, troubles, concerns, and you just become quiet and listen.  Once you get beyond the chitter chatter of your to-do lists or what he or she said about the new boss, you will become accustomed to the "sound of silence." 

Yoga Quotation of the Day:  "No matter what thoughts come, they can do us no harm.  WE let the thoughts come and go while we sit and watch as beholders."  ~Joel Goldsmith in The Thunder of Silence.

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Beginners' Meditation for the Stressed Out Soul

My experience with meditation and time in the silence go way back.  My first spiritual experience was with the Society of Friends, aka the Quakers.  Most Quaker meetings consistent of silent worship for an hour. No sermons - but, if an individual feels moved or inspired to speak, he or she can stand and share their thoughts or revelations.

At Friends' Central, a Quaker school in Philadelphia, Pa that I attended as an elementary student, a weekly half-hour of silent workship was mandatory. Sitting in the silience every Wednesday as a child was difficult.   I really didn't know what I was supposed to think about except that it should relate to God.  For most people, it probably doesn't get any easier as adults.

Meditation, however, seemed to be in my future path, though.  Close to the end of my senior year of high school, the librarian at my neighborhood library shared some information with my mother about TM - Transcendental Meditation.  As it spread across the country, this form of meditation was becoming known as a simple technique to achieve relaxation, to eliminate tension, fatigue, and insomnia, and to even improve one's creativity, All in a few, simple lessons (at a somewhat steep price).

I took the course and learned how to relax myself twice daily to the silent focus of a "mantra," a Sanskrit word, selected to resonate with my particular personality.  I enjoyed it  and it seemed to complement my hatha yoga routine.  Over the next few years in college and in graduate school I would do TM and hatha yoga intermittently - being sidetracked by the many distractions of student life.

You can learn many types of meditation.  I recommend that if you have never meditated at all that you start by simple sitting in complete silence for just 5 to 10 minutes.  All you need do is follow your breath as you inhale and exhale slowly.

As a beginner, your only objective should be to learn how to enjoy sitting in silence- no search for enlightenment or special revelations to begin with.  Our current lifestyles are so hectic that we don't give ourselves time to just "be."  Set your timer and just notice your breath as you inhale and exhale deeply for 5-10 minutes daily over the next week or so. 

Make this time you daily mini-retreat!  Sit still in a quiet environment and comfortable position.  As annoying or distracting thoughts arise just let them go -  say "thank you, I will deal with you later."  Notice what happens this week.  You should start becoming more "present" and perhaps even a bit calmer each day.  By the way, meditation doesn't require you to be "religious."  It is for atheists and believers alike. 

Yoga Quotation of the Day:  "Simple meditative practices may be found in practically every culture."~Herbert Benson, author of The Relaxation Response.