Meditation styles and Yoga practice

Yoga

Frequently Asked Questions
A definition I like to use is, "Meditation is an activity involving the cultivation of mindfulness and the application of methodologies to change ourselves in order that we become more fulfilled and more able to see Reality. ".

Meditation is about becoming more fulfilled, but also has the function of helping us to more clearly understand the nature of the world we live in. These two goals are really the same, since we can't be fulfilled if we have serious misunderstandings about life. In particular we have to learn what conditions (actions, thoughts, etc.) give rise to happiness and which to unhappiness.

Meditation gives us tools to quiet the mind so that we can become more aware of the mental processes that lead to greater fulfillment. It also offers us tools to change our mental states so that we become happier.

Do you have to be a Buddhist to do Buddhist meditation?
No. You don't have to adopt any religious belief system in order to do the meditation practices that we teach here.

Can anyone meditate?
Pretty much. People who have experienced schizophrenia should be cautious about taking up meditation, and although meditation can help with depression I wouldn't advise anyone to start meditating while they are feeling profoundly depressed (they should wait until they're feeling more balanced).

Apart from that. I think just about anyone can learn to meditate. Those who get least from meditation are usually those who want instant results. Meditation is like going to the gym -- you have to actually do the work to get the benefits. Let go of that quick-fix mentality and accept that some changes take time, and you'll find your meditation practice will be very helpful

Can meditation help with stress?
Meditation is a particularly effective way of dealing with stress. It helps us to calm down and to become more aware of how stressful feelings arise.

What's kinds of meditation do you teach here?
We mostly teach the most widespread meditation practices, including mindfulness of breathing, development of loving kindness, and walking meditation. These practices are found in virtually every major Buddhist tradition. In addition we teach mantra meditation, which is mostly associated with Mahayana Buddhism, although some of the mantras we teach come from the Theravadin tradition.

How is this different from Transcendental Meditation?
Transcendental Meditation is an adaptation of Hindu mantra meditation, involving the recitation of the "seed syllables" (the essential names, if you like) of Hindu deities. Although TM can be effective, the organization that teaches it is very money-oriented, and charges a lot for the practices they teach.

Do you need to have a teacher?
Like most skills, you can learn a lot on your own, but a teacher can be helpful to guide you when times get tough or when you have a blind spot. You can teach yourself to paint, for example, but having a teacher can speed the process and make learning more interesting and productive. It's the same with meditation.

What will meditation do for me?
Even as little as ten minutes meditation every day will make a noticeable difference to your life. Meditation is a form of training, so the more you do, and the more consistently you do it, the more you'll see progress.

What progress can you expect?

• You'll find that things that used to "push your buttons," you can now face with calmness.
• You will experience more confidence.
• Your relationships with others will become more harmonious.
• You'll feel happier.
• You may well sleep better.
• You'll accomplish all these things by learning more about the way your mind works. You'll learn to recognize unhelpful patterns of thought, feeling, and action that tend to make you less effective. These unhelpful patterns include getting unnecessarily angry, or feeling despondent.

You'll learn how to let go of these patterns.

You'll also learn how to choose to respond more creatively, in ways that allow you to remain calm and aware of the effects of your actions on yourself and others. You'll learn, for example, how to calm your mind and how to develop more empathy for others. You'll learn to have more patience with yourself and others.