Meditation Techniques
Here are some common approaches to meditation: Create a Savasana sequence. Write out your own meditation. Below are some common themes for meditation. Always remember to ask permission before touching your practitioner. Body Scan Take a trip through the course of the body. Allow time between each section to observe the breath. Color Therapy Consider traveling through the chakras without naming them. Simply associate the color as you verbally trail over the body. Chakras While scanning the body, name each one with its associated sound and color. Going Places Talk your practitioners through a beautiful land. Need ideas? Try a travel book. Implement some of the subtle details of the culture. Doing Things Talk your practitioners through an activity that you love, or would love to do. Inspirational Ideas Explore inspirational ideas via TED talks, readings, coaches, and more. Share your inspiration with your practitioners. This is a time to share your personal inspirations. Motivational Topics Have you come across something that has made a difference in your life? Share these ideas. Try to avoid “positionality” by influencing your practitioners with your personal beliefs. Reading from Books Got a great book that you want to share? Consider reading a snippet in a single class, or even work through it within a series of classes. Be sure to read slowly and clearly. Be sure to have a travel light to see, if the lights are down low. Informational Is there something you’d like to do? Walk them through it from start to finish. Concentrate on the details. Songs Sing to them softly, or maybe just hum. Chants Love chanting? Either play a recording of a chant you love (be sure you have licensure) or chant to them personally. Silence True meditation is said to be silent. Take a break from talking and allow them to enjoy the silence. Instruments Have a favorite instrument? Play it. Maybe even consider a Kirtan where you all sing and play together. Poems Share your favorite poetry with your practitioners. Prayers If you are leading a religious yoga class, consider praying with them. Be sure the class is listed as such, to make sure it is all-inclusive. Mantras Search the web for some mantras and share them in meditation. Give yourself permission to let go and really get into it. Yoga Nidra Yoga Nidra means sleep. Verbally walk them through 61 parts of the body and then bring it together as a whole. Lights Get a smart bulb, such as Ilumi, and have the colors slowly fade in the room. Works best in a dark room or at night. Scents Use an array of oils to explore the different colors that address the senses. A little bit goes a long way. You can deliver this manually or in a diffuser. Nature Use the sounds of nature to entertain. You can get an app (be sure you have licensure) or if it’s a rainy day, allow the sounds to be the focal point of your meditation. Go for a walk in nature and record your own sounds of nature recording. Rivers, wind, leaves underfoot, birds chirping. Get creative! White Noise Allow white noise to provide a welcome distraction for your peeps while in Savasana. Once again, be sure you have permission to share it. Manual Adjustments Want to make a personal connection with your student? Adjust them while in corpse pose. Lift their limbs gingerly, but with authority to ensure them that you’re comfortable with what you are doing. Oils can be applied, etc.