In this post, Joelle and John from Kernel of Wisdom guide you through a full beginner practice to help you settle in and get comfortable before starting your meditation practice. They also provide useful tips for maintaining a healthy body while meditating.

Yoga for Body Health

The ancient yogis used to meditate for long hours, but they realized that their bodies were deteriorating due to lack of movement. They started observing nature and studying how animals and trees moved. By incorporating yoga asanas named after animals and trees, they were able to keep their bodies healthy and enhance their meditation practice.

Modern Lifestyle Challenges

In today's society, we spend most of our time sitting behind desks or using electronic devices, which can lead to poor posture and physical discomfort. Before starting your meditation practice, it's important to prepare your body by doing some yoga asanas to warm up your spine and loosen up your joints.

Yoga Asanas for Preparation

Joelle and John demonstrate a series of yoga asanas to prepare your body for meditation. They guide you through movements to warm up your spine, loosen your knees and ankles, and open up your hips. These asanas help improve your posture, increase body awareness, and create a firm foundation for your meditation practice.

Mindfulness Meditation

Once your body is ready, Joelle introduces a simple external awareness meditation. The goal of this meditation is to train your mind to relax and focus. You are instructed to notice and acknowledge sounds in the room or physical sensations on your body without getting attached to them. By using labels like 'sound,' 'touch,' or 'all rest,' you can bring your attention back to the present moment whenever your mind wanders.

Posture and Breath Awareness

Throughout the video, Joelle provides guidance on maintaining a comfortable posture for meditation. Whether you choose to sit on a chair, use pillows or blankets, or sit on your heels, the key is to have a straight spine and a relaxed body. She also emphasizes the importance of breath awareness, allowing you to connect with your breath and stay focused during the practice.

Conclusion

After the meditation, Joelle encourages you to reflect on what you noticed or learned about yourself during the practice. She also provides links to other meditation videos for further exploration.