MEDITATION & MANTRA

Every Friday evening after the Mysore practice

we leave the path of the asanas at ASHTANGA YOGA RAUM FRANKFURT

and go to three further levels

of Ashtanga

: Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (deeper concentration) and Dhyana (meditation).

Pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana

We calmly withdraw our senses (Pratyahara), focus on an object such as breathing or enter a state of mindfulness (Dharana) and possibly dive into the depths of meditation (Dhyana).

With the singing or reciting of traditional mantras we round off this beautiful get-together.

Pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana are the limbs 5, 6 and 7 of the 8-membered path (Ashtanga Yoga) also called Raja Yoga. If you would like to learn more about the 8 limbs of the Ashtanga, you are welcome to participate in our Basic-Stuff Workshop, in which we will discuss all 8 limbs in more detail.

The session is linked to the previous Mysore lesson . Those who like to participate practice in such a way that they finish their practice at about 20:00 and go into the rest ingenuity phase (Shavasana).

Afterwards there is the possibility to leave the room to change for the common meditation. However, if you like, you can also sit directly and wait for the other participants in a comfortable sitting position.

The session always starts at 20:15. If you cannot or do not want to participate in the previous Mysore lesson, you can also come directly to meditate; in this case, please come to the studio from 8 pm.

Please write us a message if you would like to join us later so that we know that you are coming.

The duration of a session depends on the energy in the room; usually we are at 30-45 minutes (incl. mantra singing). So the session ends around 9 pm. Don’t be afraid of chanting mantra, no one has to sing along, but it’s a great experience to indulge in a mantra and get involved in reciting a mantra.

If necessary, two simple meditation techniques are explained (breathing observation and mindfulness meditation) before starting to meditate together. Thus, even beginners are cordially invited to attend one of the sessions at any time! Anyone can meditieren.

What is a breathing meditation?

Breathing meditation is a very good meditation method for beginners to learn to meditate. In this type of concentration meditation, one’s own breath becomes the object of concentration. The goal is deep and relaxed breathing, which calms and harmonizes body and mind. You will find a comfortable sitting position and straightens his back. Then you watch the breath flow. You can basically observe how the breath flows through the nasal passages. When inhaled, the nasal passages become cooler, when exhaling they become warmer. You can also feel the movement of the breath when inhaling and exhaling on the upper lip. Ultimately, you can also feel the difference in feeling in the lungs and chest area, which happens when inhaling and exhaling.

One can also observe how the abdominal wall goes back and forth. You can just observe it or you can also name or count it descriptively, e.g. “inhale, exhale“, “on, off”, “inhalation, exhalation”, “nasal passages cool, nose passages warm”, “abdominal wall forward, abdominal wall back”… when counting, for example, you would count the breathing rhythms, start from 1-10 and again at 1, so: inhale, exhale, 1, inhale, exhale, 2,…, you do not control the breathing, but observe it, let the body breathe independently. If you lose yourself in counting, mine starts again at 1.

What is mindfulness meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is a meditation technique in which the contents of the mind are observed and not consciously controlled. In mindfulness meditation, the practitioner welcomes all ascending thoughts without favoring one thought over another. The practitioner takes a stand beyond the thoughts and thus learns not to identify with the thoughts. There are forms of mindfulness meditation in all spiritual traditions. In yoga, it is called Sakshi Bhav or Sakshi Bhavana. In Buddhism, it is known as Vipassana. One becomes aware of everything without evaluation or attachment; you accept everything as it is.

Not to meditate because you think you “can’t meditate” or “have too many thoughts,” it’s like saying, “I can’t learn this language because I can’t speak it.”

The Goal

When you sit down for meditation, your goal shouldn’t be to turn off your thoughts completely – this is a state that comes spontaneously at some point, but that you can’t force.

Sit down, withdraw your senses and concentrate

The only thing you can do is sit down and practice in a concentrated way, to go to meditation. This motivation is the only thing that counts! It’s the exercise you’re immersed in.

Having a lot of thoughts doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong

If you have a lot of thoughts, it doesn’t mean you’re failing in meditating, it just shows you that you’re starting that day at a point where you have a lot of thoughts. Personally, I would even say that you are already meditating. You recognize your own agitation in meditation (when looking inwards) and it becomes the object of your deeper concentration.

Evaluation-free and without attachment

At this point, it is important to engage without evaluation and without attachment, to accept one’s and his thoughts as they are at the moment and simply to practice concentration. Through this effort alone, you will be able to feel the positive effects of coming to rest.