Méditation hebdomadaire 1 : Faire face à la résistance

Sortez-moi de là. Je me souviens parfaitement du sentiment de légère panique qui m'a envahi le premier soir de ma formation de professeur de yoga lorsque, sans grande préparation, on nous a demandé de méditer pendant trente minutes. Trente. minutes. Juste comme ça. Mon esprit a commencé à s'emballer. Comment allais-je pouvoir rester assise pendant trente minutes atroces sans bouger ? À quoi vais-je penser ? Comment gérer l'ennui ? Je me serais tortillé pour sortir de là s'il n'y avait pas eu les cinquante autres étudiants assis autour de moi. C'est incroyable ce que l'on peut endurer avec un peu de pression de la part de ses pairs.

Avant de commencer la formation, peu de personnes me connaissant le mieux auraient qualifié mon cerveau de "zen". Je suis arrivée à la formation de professeur avec un corps prêt pour le yoga, mais pas tout à fait avec un esprit prêt pour la tranquillité. J'ai commencé par redouter les séances quotidiennes (deux fois par jour, de 30 à 45 minutes chacune), mais cela s'est vite transformé en intimidation, puis en défi. Je ne savais jamais vraiment comment les choses allaient se passer à chaque fois que je m'asseyais. Mais l'essentiel, c'est que j'ai essayé. Tous les jours, deux fois par jour, pendant un mois, j'ai essayé.

Meditation, as it turns out, is about persistence. A little effort turned into a deeply rewarding practice: I learned that obstacles are part of the experience, that there is no way of doing it wrong, that stillness is the opposite of boredom and most of all, I felt like I finally had a handle on my mental chaos. When it comes to the rewards of meditation however, you don’t have to take my word for it. From the ancient Buddhists to the new-age spiritualists, from pop-psychology to managerial sciences – meditation and mindfulness are heralded as the golden key to well-being. The benefits of meditation are no secret.

There is an abundance of research on the mental, emotional and even physical benefits of regular meditation. The real impact however, is better understood through experience – there is something mysterious and powerful that happens when you take a few moments to become rooted firmly in the present. So why not just meditate? In theory, meditation can seem quite simple. Sit. Breathe. Be. In practice, however it can be anything but. Busy schedules, anxiety and a racing mind can make the idea of sitting still impossible. Despite the infinite techniques and philosophies at our fingertips, I’ve encountered many friends that have felt overwhelmed by it all, and needed a little help to get started. Starting any practice begins with taking a few thoughtful, small steps and this series is designed help take a few towards the habits of a regular meditation practice.  

SEMAINE 1 : VAINCRE LES RÉSISTANCES

Despite being dedicated to yoga for over a decade, there are moments (months even) when my mat is the last place in the world I want to be. Sometimes we find ourselves mentally, physically or emotionally resisting the things that make us feel the best. This is the complicated part of life-long practices. The force of resistance that seems to come from within is daunting and it can be tempting not to face it head on. But in reality, it isn’t a static thing – it is fleeting thing that wanes if view it as something surmountable. We have to think of resistance as a muscle. When we choose not to face it – even in seemingly small or insignificant ways – it gets stronger. The key is to make a small effort – any effort — to keep it in check. When I can’t see myself doing a whole yoga class, I commit to even just 5 minutes of deep stretching. Getting started is often all you need to confront your resistance. This week’s meditation goal is to play with our power to overcome resistance, to flex a mental muscle and to see if you can create a bit of space to seed a new habit.

This week, all you need to to is find five minutes a day to sit in stillness and breathe deeply. The easiest way to do this is at the same time each day. You don’t have to worry about how you’re sitting or where you are. Just set a timer, close your eyes and breath. If five minutes seems impossible, do three. If three seems too daunting, do one. Whatever you choose, commit to it. Let us know how you’re doing, and don’t forget to come back next week for another small step to building a great meditation practice.