When we talk about yoga we often refer unconsciously to practicing one or two of the eight limbs of yoga: asana and pranayama. In fact, there are six more, even though the last two cannot be taught, but only achieved by practicing the other limbs.
Yama: moral obligations
Niyama: personal values
Asana: physical practice, the poses
Pranayama: breathing practice, control of the prana (energy)
Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses
Dharana: concentration
Dhyana: meditation
Samadhi: union with the Divine, enlightment
So when we say we are meditating, we are actually practicing pratyahara and dharana. If we do the yogic work, meditation and enlightment will follow, as a direct consequence of the other limbs. Sounds easy? Well, not at all, I know.
But when and where should we meditate (let's keep the word, now that we have cleared the field of meaning)? Before dawn, on a rock by the sea, or maybe at sunset on a rocky peak? Instagram suggests that only in an open space, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and unbelievable natural phenomena meditation is possible. And it is undeniable: immersion in nature is helpful to reconnect with Self, to relax the analytical mind, letting go of the thoughts, without stopping to analyze them.
Some practitioners will get up very early to meditate. Sometimes it is a life arrangement call: it's the only available time before the rest of the family gets up, or the phone starts ringing, messages start arriving. Often meditation takes place in a seated position, the spine erect, vertebrae stacked, hands in a mudra to help concentration. We have seen it all on Instagram, again.
We might even have a meditation cushion, to be more comfortable. Indeed, should we be moving around in discomfort every few minutes, distracted by our body sensations, we could not concentrate at all.
In my own practice, I have tried to be seated, but it never was comfortable for me. I tried the supine position, which works definitely better but... the teacher I was following was online at evening time and I more than often woke up with everybody gone, Zoom saying goodbye to me, not knowing what had happened from the moment the session started to the moment I re-opened my eyes. Of course, Deb's voice was so soothing that I would not hold me responsible for falling asleep like a baby. But it is also true that if I get in a supine position after dinner, I will just sleep like a log in about 5 minutes.
I thought about myself. Self-study is part of the practice, part of the Niyama. In the morning, when I open my eyes, I am always in a kind of brooding or meditative state. I start thinking about the hours to come, what awaits me, what could actually happen. Those are the moments between the end of sleep and the real start of the day, the head on the pillow, the body still sleepy.
So one day I tried and followed a guided meditation from my bed, as soon as I felt myself awake. The voice invited me to take a comfortable seated position - or lie down - and I picked the lie down option. I just remained in bed. I spread my arms, palms upward, spine in one line. I closed my eyes softly again, knowing that I would not fall asleep, because I never fall asleep again once my sleep is over. And I followed the voice through the guided meditation. Grateful when it was over, I opened my eyes to go about my day.
It has become a habit. When I meditate before getting up, from the quietness of my dark room, in the comfort of my bed, I get up full of energies, positive thoughts, an elastic quality to my step while I head to the bathroom for my morning routine.
Apparently I have found my space and time. No fancy rock, no romantic dawn, no breathtaking views. Just maybe the promise of the daylight from the slit in the curtains. As I wrote here, where and when are not so important. I know they can make a difference, but it's not always a choice that we can make, especially if the rigidity of the two parameters prevents us from bringing yoga to our lives.
Maybe one day I will be so lucky to find a rock with an Instagram view and have my meditation there. But it will be a once-in-while experience. Meanwhile, I am making it part of my daily life, the best way I can.
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