Training the mind is hard work. Any of us who have spent time on a yoga mat can attest to that. But what if I told you there was a secret to training your mind?

That secret is meditation. Meditation allows us to gaze at the inner plane, and it's through this self-observation that we can effectively calm and train the mind.

Now, the practice of meditation can mean many things to many different people. Perhaps you already include it as part of your yoga routine, or maybe you even practiced meditation first before you took up yoga. Anyone can practice meditation, and this episode of the Yoga Inspiration podcast is meant for beginners and advanced meditation practitioners.

Meditation requires a state of deep introspective concentration, and even the most advanced meditators can still have difficulty relaxing the mind. In fact, to be considered "good" at meditating, you must be able to focus on your breathing for 60 seconds.

While we won't be trying to achieve that today, all I ask is for you to consider meditation as a way to celebrate and accept the cycles of life we go through. I'm sharing my experiences from my most recent meditation retreat to hopefully inspire you to give meditation a try.

To start meditation, it's important to find a neutral object to focus on. Many of us use breathing as our center of focus. We all breathe, and breath is unlikely to have any emotional attachment to any thoughts of any kind. You want to keep your mind clear, and meditating on your breath flowing in and out can help concentrate your mind.

There are key differences between the breathing in meditation and the breathing we do in yoga. While meditating, you breathe as normal and learn to recognize your pattern of breath. This recognition can help you notice the way your breathing may change depending on the various life situations you find yourself in.

I discuss how and why meditative breathing is different from yoga, and I answer some key questions many yogis have about starting and maintaining a regular meditative practice. Meditation is key to training your mind and breaking any bad habits of negative thinking, so tune in now to step into that meditative mindset and begin retraining your brain.

Share some of the things you've learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at [email protected] and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

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