The art of meditation runs alongside the art of yoga, both focused on breathing, finding inner stillness and rebalancing yourself internally. Both of these practices are strongly rooted in the ancient holistic lifestyle practice of Ayurveda.
What is meditation?
In an over stimulated world, meditation is a respite from the chaos that so often controls our lives. Practicing the art of meditation is like training a muscle, it is not something that can be perfected overnight, but an art form that with practice, can be honed and easier to achieve.
Meditation is about stillness and inner reflection, not blocking out feelings and emotions, but being aware of them and learning to observe them without judgement. The goal of meditation is to be present in the moment, aware of how you are feeling both physically and emotionally so that you may be better in tune with your body and mind, achieving a sense of contentment.
Whilst meditation is so unique to each individual and can be adapted to each person's level of comfort and preference, meditation is often begun by sitting in a quiet place with your eyes closed, mind calm and focusing on the breath. This stillness of mind and body and focus on the breath allows all distractions and nagging thoughts to leave our minds, leaving us with our authentic thoughts and feelings. By training our minds to practice meditation we are cultivating awareness and compassion and training our minds to be less easily distracted, anchoring ourselves in the here and now.
What is Ayurvedic meditation?
As mentioned, meditation is an art form and one that requires many sessions of practice. When you begin it is common to perhaps be a tad fidgety, or finding yourself organising a ‘to do list’ in your head or maybe you open your eyes wondering where the time has flown. These are more than just habits, but can actually reflect your unique dosha and ayurvedic body type. The way each dosha thinks and feels all vary and this is reflected when you are in a meditative state.
Ayurvedic meditation for Vata Dosha
The vata is the airy dosha. If this is the ayurvedic body type you identify with, you will likely be creative and imaginative. However, when it comes to ayurvedic meditation you may find your thoughts running away with you and your mind easily distracted.
If you are a vata dosha and struggle to find internal stillness we recommend using a grounding affirmation or mantra such as “I am focused, I am centred” to quieten your tornado of thoughts.
Ayurvedic meditation for Pitta Dosha
The pitta is the fiery dosha. If this is the ayurvedic body type you identify with then you may find yourself fidgeting and struggling to stay still during ayurvedic meditation. The pitta dosha is a driven person, that is goal-oriented and full of energy, determination and organisation. When it comes to practicing meditation it may be difficult for those with a pitta dosha to be doing nothing, instead they may be planning next week's meals or running through a ‘to do list’ in their head.
For the pitta doshas struggling to focus their minds, remind yourself that through meditation you will find yourself becoming even more productive when your mind isn’t overwhelmed. Meditation can even improve memory, productivity and brian function.
Ayurvedic meditation for Kapha Dosha
Meditation often comes easiest to kapha dosha body types. With their dosha connected to the Earth, they are easily grounded and can find stillness. The issue they might face with ayurvedic meditation is dozing off half way through! For this reason we recommend practicing moving meditation such as walking, hand gestures or chanting to keep your mind and body alert.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of ayurvedic meditation, particularly how it can have a positive impact on your relationships, you can read our previous blog post ‘Mauli Rituals talks Vedic Meditation with Will Williams & Jess Cook’.