It was 2001 when I attended my first meditation course and straight away had a fascinating experience meditating on the image of a spiritual teacher. Since then I have practiced dozens of different meditation techniques. There are different ways of categorizing meditations. I find it most helpful to roughly divide them into these two groups:

1. Meditations that (mainly) serve to change the body system and the circumstances you are in (=healing). In these meditations you use your attention, love energy, visualizations, affirmations, etc. to manifest the desired changes.

2. Meditations that (mainly) serve to gain self-knowledge. These meditations are about bringing the attention back to the source, to the observer behind the appearances – and even beyond that – to the observer of the observer, our Higher Self. Over time and with practice, you will realize that the true self is beyond all manifested forms. In these meditations, you don't want to change anything; you want to recognize and experience who you really are.

Sutra 2.11.: "The active forms of suffering can be overcome through meditation."

Sutra 2.17.: "The identification of the subject with the object is the cause of suffering and should be avoided."

Sutra 2.25.: "When ignorance disappears, the connection dissolves, then the self is liberated."

What is it About?

Basically, meditation is about taking the attention away from thinking and focusing it on something else in order to withdraw energy from the process of thinking and thus allow the thoughts to calm down. In this meditation, we focus our attention on the breath - more precisely, the raising and falling of the chest in the area of the heart, which is caused by breathing.

Taking the attention not only from thinking but also from sensory perceptions (=Pratyahara) and focusing it (=Dharana) form the 5th and 6th limbs of Ashtanga Yoga and are covered in Sutras 2.54-55 and 3.1. Meditation (=Dhyana) is the 7th limb of Ashtanga Yoga and is discussed specifically in Sutra 3.2 and in many other Sutras that follow.

Sutra 3.2.: "Where attention flows steadily, meditation happens."

Dharana and Dhyana then lead through practice to Samadhi (superconsciousness), the 8th limb of Ashtanga Yoga.

Sutra 3.3.: "The awareness of subject and object disappears when the superconscious is experienced in emptiness." or "When the being dissolves completely into what is being observed, unification occurs."

Why do we focus our attention on the area of the heart and not, as is often taught, on the tip of the nose and how the air flows in and out there?

Of course, you can also focus your attention on the tip of the nose and watch how the air flows in and out there – this is also a common practice for beginners. However, by directing our attention to the area of the heart right from the beginning, we are already getting closer to a later goal – namely... that our attention comes more and more into our (spiritual) heart – but more on that later.

General

1. Find a place to practice where you feel comfortable

Or, if possible, set up a special place for it and make sure that you are undisturbed during the meditation.

If you want to meditate on the floor, find a soft surface – e.g., a thick blanket or a yoga mat. On this surface, put something soft that you can sit on (e.g., a thick cushion – a real meditation cushion would be ideal). Of course, you can also meditate on a couch or chair if you prefer that. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable in your position and can sit relaxed for a certain amount of time. Just try out for yourself where and in which position you can relax best.

2. The posture

2.1. Make sure that your spine is straight, as this allows the energies in the main energy channels in the spine (Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna) to flow better. It is also helpful if you place your chin slightly towards your chest, thereby stretching the cervical spine.

2.2. See which sitting position feels good for you. Is it cross-legged, the 'half lotus' (=one foot is on the other legs thigh), the 'full lotus' (=each of the feet is on the other leg's thigh), or can you relax better on a chair (your feet should thereby be parallel on the floor)?

2.3. On the hand position in meditation...

A classic hand position is the so-called 'Chin Mudra', where you bring your thumb and index finger together, stretch out the remaining fingers slightly, and place your hands on your knees with the palms facing upwards.

This mudra closes an important energy circuit in the body and therefore has a positive effect on meditation.

There are many different mudras, and each of them has a specific effect, but of course, you can also meditate without doing a mudra.

2.4. The tongue also plays an important role in meditation. By placing it lightly at the base of the upper incisors, you close the descending energy circuit, which also has a beneficial effect on meditation.

2.5. Eyes open or closed?

To be able to concentrate better, it is advisable (at least for beginners) to keep your eyes closed, as the process of 'seeing' automatically consumes a large part of our attention.

1. First, take a few slow, deep breaths and relax your body completely. When you breathe out, consciously let go of all thoughts and emotional remnants that are in your body system, if possible.

2. Now direct (focus) your attention on the area of your heart and observe how the breath raises this area slightly when you breathe in and how it falls again when you breathe out. If it helps, you can also put your hands on your heart, which will automatically bring your attention to this area to a certain extent.

3. As soon as you notice that you are thinking again, immediately go back to observing the rise and fall of the chest in the heart area. Over and over again, until the thoughts calm down and you can relax more and more into the position of the observer of this process.

4. Now simply stay in this state of the observer and relax more and more deeply into it.

Congratulations, you have just meditated!

This is the basic technique. Your mind will probably speak up again quite quickly at the beginning and demand your attention back (with all sorts of very important thoughts – at least it wants to convince you that it is important to pay attention to these thoughts right now), this is completely normal. However, as soon as you notice that you are thinking again, concentrate again on observing the raising and lowering of the area of your heart.

The longer you manage to stay focused on it, the more the chatter in your head will subside. Make sure that you manage not to lose yourself in your thoughts but simply observe thoughts when they arise – let them come and then simply let them go again without giving them your attention.

Be aware that up to now your mind has always automatically taken your attention from you and that it is used to it – so it takes a bit of time and practice to be able to place your attention where you want it and not where your mind wants it.