Meditation is a word that most are familiar with these days, but many people have surprisingly different ideas about what exactly meditation is, as well as its goals. Here I share with you my list of eight common misconceptions about meditation.
I can’t sit in lotus posture/a.k.a I have a bad or tight back, knee, etc.
Guess what: my knees and hips aren’t as pliable as they were 10 years ago, and I almost never sit in lotus posture. While meditating, I may lay down, sit in a comfy chair, stand up and dance, walk or even float in the ocean.
It’s all about being quiet
While many people do practice meditation this way, this can actually be called a pre-meditation technique. There are many simple and enjoyable ways to practice meditation with musical instruments, singing or with beads.
It’s only for hippies
If you think you’ll need to stop shaving and eat granola every day to practice meditation, you’re wrong. Yoga meditation programs have been introduced, studied and become an integral part of many company’s employee benefits. Research has shown that reaction times, accuracy and memory improved for executives that practiced yoga meditation in one study, compared to those who engaged in aerobic exercise or did nothing.
It’s against my religion
Meditation does not contradict any teachings of the Judeo-Christian Bible. It’s simply about slowing down, tuning in, becoming more relaxed and more self-aware and connecting to our source, the Supreme Soul or God.
I can’t be still enough to meditate.
Great news! There’re other ways to meditate. And through practicing these more active forms of meditation, you will find your mind and body are more able to focus and go within in a calm, yet energized way. I often practice meditation in a group, chanting mantras in unison. The effect is very powerful and certainly not quiet.
Binge watching online will give me the same relaxation as meditation.
Uhhh, well…not true. Meditation is not the same as escapism, where the problems of your life return after the escape. Binge watching can be considered a type of meditation – in that your mind and energy are absorbed in the flickering light that projects subject matter onto your screen – (and then gets forever recorded into your mind). However, rather than producing inner peace end greater self-reliance, you may find yourself more fearful, agitated and depressed after a binge session as you’ve internalized the angst, the striving and the materialism largely showcased in these platforms.
Wasn’t that over in the 70’s?
A recent report found that over 18 million Americans practice variety of meditation, including over 200,000 children, or 8 % of the total population.
I don’t have time to meditate
Meditation can take up to as little as 5-20 minutes of your day. It’s up to you. Surely you have that much time to spare. And the increased clarity and groundedness that meditation gives will make the rest of your day more productive. Meditation is especially effective at sunrise and sunset, or the first thing in the morning or the last thing at night. I like to meditate in bed before I go to sleep. This practically ensures sweet dreams.
So what’s your excuse/ start slowly and build up if you find you like it.
Wai Lana is an expert of many trades – she is everything anyone dreamed of. She is a yoga icon, author, songwriter, TV show producer and director. She has hosted various yoga shows on TV that have aired internationally on different continents including the Middle East, Australia, Europe, Asia, North and South America. Additionally, the beautiful and charming Wai Lana designs flower garlands and colorful clothes she wears during production.
Wai Lana’s Age, Place of Birth, Personal Life:
Born in the year of 1955 in Hong Kong (China), Wai Lana is not only a beautiful and charming yoga teacher, but she is also a mother of three, grandmother of six, songwriter, author, and a genuine advocate for helping people from all walks of life attain inner peace and well-being. Wai Lana (63 years old) currently lives in the beautiful state of Hawaii in United States of America.
More than that, the serene and softhearted Wai Lana is a genuine advocate of her audience’s well-being and inner peace. At least that’s what she is identified for. She is considered a favorite by people of all ages, and from all walks of life. Having produced and hosted television series of yoga instruction, we cannot refute that the grandmother of six has played an essential role in helping popularize yoga globally. With all her music and meditation albums, training materials, yoga DVDs, kids’ yoga products, a line of yoga gear and a range of snacks, Wai Lana is, without a doubt, a world-renowned yoga teacher. This is what has earned her international recognition.
Wai Lana’s Accomplishments
Having taught yoga for nearly four decades, Wai Lana is not without great achievements. Her TV Series “Wai Lana Yoga” has aired nationwide for close to two decades now, becoming the longest-running fitness series on national television. The series has helped a huge number of yoga enthusiasts from all walks of life to improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. In 2016, her effort was recognized nationwide- Wai Lana was honored with India’s Prestigious Padma Shri Award for her extraordinary accomplishments in spreading yoga’s mainstream popularity through her books, television series, and music videos.
Some of her other music videos include;
“Namaste” – This video has one of yoga’s greatest lessons – humility and respect for all. Having been produced to celebrate the first ever International Yoga Day, the music video has not only become favorite among online viewers but earned Wai Lana countless praises. One viewer quoted “This video is visually lovely where so many people of the different country brought together to perform. Don’t know how to describe this video; it’s been a long time that we have watched a video of its kind. I got relaxed for 5 minutes thank you, Wai Lana, & a big NAMASTE to you!”
Colors – a music video that aims to remove the racial and social divides. The message resonates well with different people worldwide, regardless of skin color. A yoga enthusiast commented- “.. No one picks the fight… If your shirt is green or cream… Incredible message… Thanks for this wonderful video. The title itself is very significant. Meaningful creativity at its best on the Day of International Day of Yoga…”
Alive Forever is another short film and music video with a great message that reverberates well with virtually everyone. It emphasizes being more an eternal spiritual being than a physical body or mind. Thousands of viewers appreciate the impact this music video has on them “I had tears in my eyes from the first minute of this video! This video is full of happiness. Thank You very much, Wai Lana”
Books Authored:
Wai Lana has released many books for Kids. Now kids can have hours of wholesome fun coloring and playing with their friends! They’ll also improve their problem-solving skills; it will foster creativity and artistic ability, sharpen memory and concentration, nurture their attraction to health and fitness. Wai Lana has also compiled an 85-recipe Juice book named “Wai Lana’s FAVORITE JUICES”. These mouth-watering juices help to lose weight, reduce stress, eliminate toxins, improve your digestion. She has also authored – Wai Lana’s Favorite Soups, Wai Lana’s Little Yogis™ Coloring Book, Wai Lana’s Little Yogis™ Daydream Coloring Book and a few more.
“Oh My Sweet Lord” – A Personal and Intimate Prayer
Yoga is a holistic intimate package for happy living. Combined with music therapy, yoga can have a significant role in promoting self-confidence, enhancing interpersonal communication and promoting individual well-being. Anyone who has an interest in yoga and enjoys singing or listening to music will tell you the effectiveness of integrating the two. That is what Wai Lana does– make ancient art of yoga easy and effective by incorporating various therapies. One such music therapy is “Oh My Sweet Lord” that she initially wrote as a personal intermediate prayer but has now embellished into a powerful music video.
In this powerful video, the yoga teacher welcomes her audience to her inner world – her heart of hearts. She introduces ancient yoga through personal, intimate prayer. Her way of teaching yoga wisdom in this song aims to inspire and empower people to experience and create inner peace in their lives, regardless of age, faith, ability level or individual circumstances.
Oh My Sweet Lord’s Message
Judging by the first few seconds, you might get tempted to dismiss the music video not knowing that you will soon get sandwiched between the most meditative audio and centering images. Better put, hear a celebration of Divine music within. As soon as the prayer starts, you get amazed by an acoustic guitar driven song with deep, whisper vocals that set you on a Divine journey. Simple relaxing sounds (birds chirping) cultivate a serene and a peaceful atmosphere engulfs your mind. As soon as the video begins, you are treated to an amazing beauty of love overloaded. She is seated outdoor on what seems like a patio overlooking a beautiful flower garden; this creates a calm and peaceful image in your mind to help you recharge. As the song goes by, you quickly forget you are watching a music video and become completely immersed in a profoundly restful state.
Regardless, of religion or faith, this captivating music video makes you connect with the Supreme soul, whose all-loving and all-attractive nature is universal. At some point, she slows down the tempo and drops the key to give this one-of-a-kind rendition more gravitas. As the video transitions from an ocean sunset, to moonlit forests, darkness and then to dramatic daybreak, her longing for her Lord intensifies. She sprinkles in mantras about her Sweet Lord while at the same time adding some distant Indian flair. This quickly drives you to the perspective of an individual wanting to connect with the Divine deeply.
In depth review of Wai Lana’s Easy Meditation For Everyone Kit
I am glad to share my wonderful experience from the Wai Lana’s Easy Meditation kit for everyone. I love this Meditation kit and I would say anyone gets this will be glad to have it. I like this DVD Series starting from the packaging, design to the content of it. Practicing this meditation with Wai Lana gives immense pleasure and restfulness to the heart.
Creative Packaging:
I liked the packaging of this product very much. It’s done in a nice creative way; there is a ribbon to open the covering, which makes it more stylish. The beautiful color, picture of Wai Lana and the description about different methods in the cover page makes it more attractive. The cover is so strong that the DVDS, booklet and the beads inside it are totally protected and safe. I ordered this Meditation Kit from abroad and received as it is just because of the sturdy packaging.
Easy and Descriptive Content:
She has included 2 DVD’s with 10 different methods to practice the yoga sound meditation which are very easy to follow as it is self-explanatory. She has included a booklet with the clear description on the methods with some more description and the best way to practice yoga sound meditation. The booklet with nice pictures and description makes me excited to watch her videos and believe me I could not stop watching Wai Lana Yoga Asanas again and again and I love practicing with her.
Ease of access.
Wai Lana has arranged the methods in such a nice way that, it is very easy to navigate. For each method she has included the “Practice Only” and “Intro and Practice”. Though the intro and practice takes bit more time than the practice only, it helped me a lot to learn the methods at the initial stage and gradually I do it with the practice only.
She has the variations of language available for the subtitles as well.
Espanol:
English:
Pleasant way of describing:
Her smiling face, pleasant voice, soothing expression, natural scenic beauty motivates me to start the practice with her and helps me to experience the innumerable benefits from this practice.
Wai Lana’s Meditation practice methods touched my heart with uncountable benefits:
With my busy life I always used to feel stressed, restless and I didn’t find much solutions to have a stable and focused mind, but practicing different methods of yoga sound meditation with Wai Lana, helped me a lot to focus on these sounds, to get deep inner peace and happiness, helps me relieve stress and to get rid from all the worries, anxieties in my life. Now it has become a habit to take out at least 20 minutes a day to practice yoga sound meditation in a secluded place which gives me a good start of the day. I must tell that the nice part about Wai Lana Yoga teaching is we can practice many of the methods at any place, any time. This helps me to practice few of the methods in the break time at work, in the traffic, during the long travel in train or flight or while resting.
Some of the videos by Wai Lana to reduce stress and bring inner peace:
While demonstrating the methods for meditation she not only focuses on the meditation, but comfort of the body as well. To maintain the safety of the body she guides the usage of props and guides to arrive at a comfortable position where we don’t need to focus on our body any more but can focus on the sound. I used to think meditation as a method to sit in a secluded place and to focus on the void, but this was the most difficult thing to do as my mind used to get distracted very fast towards many other thoughts.
Listening to her I could know that meditation is to focus on the transcendental sound putting aside all the worries of life. And now I could very well feel this practice of yoga sound mediation slowly removes all other tension from my mind. I play this sound always while working and traveling and this sound helps me get relaxed and rejuvenated. I would say you will love to know that any one and every one can practice this at any place and any time.
After practicing the methods with her, I could say that only thinking and knowing about it does not helps much, but practicing this meditation gives the benefits and helps to achieve inner happiness. She takes baby steps to teach the methods which make it very easy to remember and practice. She is not imposing any hard and fast rule for any of the methods but allows doing it with our own comfort. That gives me interest to go with my speed.
Wai Lana has featured a couple of videos based on meditation, they are as follows:
The process of practicing Wai Lana’s meditation methods itself is so calming to the mind that I feel to do it again and again. This encourages doing it in between the day time by taking small breaks. Usually I get stressed in between the day with the normal office work pressure, health issues, new endeavors in life etc; but practicing the “Breath of Sound Meditation” has such a nice impact on the body and mind, this helps to regain composure from all kind of nervousness and stress.
I got the confidence on Wai Lana’s meditation practice at the first place as no where she focuses on the self-made methods but she refers to the ancient scriptures and the self realized disciplic yoga masters. I feel the yoga sound meditation as the personal companion on which I can take full shelter and can have full faith. I have found many a situations and many a people who have given me strength and hope in my critical situations. But none of them were permanent. Sometimes or later I used to feel shelter-less too. I used to get frustrated by not getting anything on which I can take shelter. But after practicing different methods of meditation I realized this sound meditation by Wai Lana is the everlasting, ever existing, ever supporting and ever refreshing method.
Practicing japa meditation in the morning helps me to get a calm and clear mind to start the day and I feel very happy for the whole day. It is very easy to understand and practice this method as she explains very slowly and clearly with all possible kind of instructions. Very nice thing about japa meditation is that, there is no hard and fast rule for doing this practice. So this helps me to get more focused being in my comfortable position while practicing.
Doing the Singing & Dancing with the Yoga sound part with Wai Lana is amazing. When you will listen to her voice, it’s really heart touching. I found this method as the easiest method to focus on the sound. After a busy day when I try to do this practice in the evening with my friends and family members; this simply removes all kind of anxiety, worries, and hatred, anger which gets created throughout the day from doing other stuffs and simply gives inner happiness. This practice helps me to have a peaceful end of day.
I found the chakra meditation as a bit difficult method to focus, but the practice of other methods helped me to gain focus and I could practice this now. The placing of the transcendental sound on different Chakras of the body while focusing on it gives a wonderful experience on both the body and mind.
Hearing different kind of yoga sounds and the quotes from the ancient yoga scriptures gives a realization about how polluted my mind is and the path to be more humble and to gain focus and faith on the yoga sound to get purified from all those contamination.
Looking at scenic beauty and her effulgent face – my eyes gets satisfied, following her guidelines makes me very comfortable. The body gets relaxed and listening to the sound from her lips the mind gets peace, happiness and blissfulness. She has methods to have a nice start of day, methods to practice in between the day and to have a nice end of day. I would say you will love this DVD series in all ways.
Thank you very much dear Wai Lana for this wonderful gift of Easy Meditation for everyone Kit.
Thank You friends for reading this review. Hope you find this useful for your meditation practice.
If you want to know more about Wai Lana, you can check out the below also:
Wai Lana Yoga Information, Teachings and TV Series
Many of us recognize that there is much more to life than what we experience on the material level of living. We understand both intuitively, and through our own direct experiences, that simply trying to satisfy the urges of our mind and bodily senses is not fulfilling for us. It is not deeply meaningful, nor does it bring us the real and lasting happiness that we long for in our heart of hearts. Thus, we turn to spiritual life to find what we are seeking.
When we want to understand the truth of our spiritual nature, it is important to look to the bonafide scriptures of the world. These ancient scriptures contain timeless wisdom that can help us rediscover our eternal nature and inherent relationship with the Supreme Person.
Within the yoga scriptures , it is explained that we are eternal spiritual beings, currently covered by layers of material energy, like a set of clothes. The mind or subtle energy body is like an under layer of clothes. The gross physical body is like an outer layer of clothes. Just as we are not the shirt, pants, and undergarments we are currently wearing, we are not these “clothes” either. However, if we have no real information about our true nature as spiritual beings, it is easy for us to fall into the misunderstanding that we are these temporary material coverings.
If we erroneously conclude that we are the mind and body, then our entire existence becomes focused on taking care of these “clothes.” Thinking we are them, we will look for happiness and fulfillment in terms of our mind and body. We will constantly be striving for satisfaction through feeding the mind and body with various material objects, such as pleasurable thoughts or ideas, things to stimulate the senses, and so on. However, no matter how nicely or extravagantly or diligently we do this, we will remain empty within the core of our being – always anxious searching for the vital something that is missing from our lives and hearts. Material experiences do not actually touch us. They can feed the mind and body, but do absolutely nothing to nourish us, the spiritual self.
This is why our repeated attempts at material gratification are never successful. We may get the external object or situation that we strive for, but it does not result in the permanent inner fullness that we seek.
As we are spiritual beings, real satisfaction comes to us only through consciously relating with our spiritual Source. As the great spiritual teacher Jagad Guru Chris Butler says when we direct our longing for happiness , meaning, purpose, shelter, love toward the temporary objects and relationships of this world, we are endlessly frustrated. But when we direct this longing toward our inner relationship with the Supreme Person, we find complete and utter fulfillment. Fortunately, in the scriptures, we are given clear instructions on how to revive and deepen our relationship with our eternal Friend.
In this day and age, the recommended process for consciously linking up with the Supreme Person is through real meditation on His transcendental Names. (In the yoga scriptures, this is called Mantra Meditation.) The Names of the Supreme Being are not ordinary sound. Rather, there is no difference between the Supreme Person Himself and the spiritual sound vibration. He appears in this world as spiritual sound in order to give those who sincerely want to know Him the opportunity to associate directly with Him.
In this way, we can relate intimately with the Supreme Person simply by hearing and repeating His Names. These Names are purely spiritual and never lose any potency on coming into contact with matter. On the contrary, the Names of the Supreme have unlimited power to purify us of the material influences that we have taken on from living in such close association with matter for so long. By regularly listening, chanting, singing these Names, our consciousness is gradually purified of all material miseries. As the material influence on our consciousness dissipates, we are able to increasingly experience the presence of God in His Names and in our hearts – and our relationship with Him blossoms in the most wonderful ways.
In the yoga scriptures, it is described that when all that is false is stripped away from us, naturally what we will do is try to be pleasing to God, our eternal Friend. We have an innate love for the Supreme Person and He has a similar innate love for us. Loving Him is the actual purport of our existence, the highest goal of our life. The great spiritual teachers or the acaryas such as Jagad Guru Chris Butler have said that Within our natural loving relationship with God, we find the perfection of all that we seek.
It may seem amazing to us that everything we have been longing for is contained within this one relationship, within loving this most special and unique Person. But this is the Absolute Truth that is confirmed in the scriptures, and through the lives and teachings of the topmost saintly persons. Realizing this essential and most wonderful truth of our existence is the key to our actual fulfillment . Our truest nature, our highest happiness, is in loving this Person who is the very Source and essence. There is no higher truth, no higher attainment, no higher joy, than the actual realization of this eternal relationship of loving exchange with our Supreme Friend.
Spiritual life is knowing God as our Best Friend. It is our genuine personal awakening to our eternal relationship with our supreme dear most Beloved. It is truly knowing for our self that our heart is completely safe with Him – and so without the tiniest bit of reservation or fear , we are joyfully, eagerly loving Him with all our heart and trying to please Him with our life.
If we are not already consciously relating with God, we can begin doing so immediately through hearing, chanting, singing His Names. And if we are already relating with Him, this relationship can become infinitely more deep, intimate, and blissful in this way.
Spiritual life is our real life that has only been forgotten and covered over by the facade of material misconception. Jagad Guru Chris Butler in his amazing videos clearly communicates that Through regular hearing and repeating the Names of God, we can revive our inner life of wonder and sweetness, of transcendental happiness, of natural loving service to our supremely lovable dear most Friend. In this, our real life, we are completely fulfilled.
The eight part series on the wisdom of yoga explains the spiritual nature of the self, the eight-fold astanga yoga system and how the process of yoga builds a foundation for spiritual realization.
The Science of Identity Foundation just released an eight part video series entitled “The Wisdom of Yoga”. This enlightening series is available for free viewing on YouTube.com.
The Purpose of the Yoga System
Yoga View of the Self
Exploring Life Itself
In Search of Happiness
Looking for Love
Real Spirituality
The Astanga Yoga System
The Spiritual Potency of Mantra
While millions of people around the world are practicing hatha yoga asanas, few realize the potency of the other limbs of the yoga system, which give deep insight into living a truly harmonious, spiritually-centered life. This video series touches on the deeper aspects of yoga, such as understanding our spiritual nature, the eight limbs of the astanga yoga system, self-realization, the role of a yoga master and how to control the mind.
Ancient yoga texts, such as the revered Bhagavat Purana (compiled over 5000 years ago), provide the foundation of knowledge for understanding the yoga system as a holistic way of life and spiritual path, versus solely practicing hatha yoga asanas. Many people don’t realize that yoga asanas in the yoga system are a precursor to yoga meditation; the ultimate goal of yoga is to achieve self-realization.
Self-realization through yoga means understanding the true, eternal nature of the self and acting on that reality — in a way that brings great harmony and happiness to every aspect of our lives. Through the wisdom of yoga, we experience true inner peace and insight, allowing us to find greater love and joy in our relationships, harmony with the environment and a real purpose for life.
Confusion, doubt, anxiety and hopelessness are all symptoms of the lack of true knowledge. Many social problems we face are rooted in a lack of understanding of our true essence and the ultimate purpose for our existence. The wisdom of yoga teaches us how we can, in our daily lives, find practical ways to see through the enlightening lens of yoga and act in a way that is in harmony with our true nature – spiritual in essence.
Acharya das, instructor of “The Wisdom of Yoga” series, explains, “I was very fortunate to come into contact with the teachings of yoga under the guidance of Siddhaswarupanada Paramahamsa. This transcendental knowledge has been passed down by the great rsis and sages for thousands of years; yet the true wisdom of yoga is exceedingly rare in today’s world.”
Now this knowledge can easily be accessed through your own personal computer, sponsored by the Science of Identity Foundation. You can watch the whole Wisdom of Yoga series here.
The Science of Identity Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps people around the world achieve optimal physical, mental and spiritual well being.
Many research studies claim to state that we are our physical bodies, which are made up of complex chemical arrangements. So in short we are matter in essence. And this is being taught in many science books in schools and universities. So we are brought up being taught that we are the physical body, i am an American or Mexican and so on. So from that knowledge springs the concept of happiness, that if we satisfy our bodies then we will be truly happy and satisfied. We all know that this is not the reality, since no amount of material endeavors and achievements are not really satisfying to us. It gives some temporary superficial pleasure and before we know it, its gone and we still feel empty and not satisfied within.
The real proof of this is the current situation of the western civilization. The western countries are very rich in material resources and wealth, they have all things materially required. Yet the rate of crime, depression, rape, murder, drug problems, suicide is on an all time high. So how come , the people of the rich countries are so dissatisfied, whereas from the so called scientific conclusion, they should be happy and satisfied within? So what is the truth? Are we really our physical bodies?
A recent scientific study proved that the material composition making up our physical bodies change rapidly everyday. So the mass of matter making up our whole body is renewed rapidly. the speed is so high that our entire brain matter is renewed every few days!! If we were our physical bodies, then how come we remember incidents years down the line, but our brain matter is completely renewed every week??
Just blindly saying we are the body does not help, since lot of questions are not answered if we assume we are the body? If we are the body, then what is the explanation for out of the body experiences which commonly occur frequently, where people really experience that they are out of their bodies. There has been numerous cases where people have left their bodies for some time and then come back again to regain consciousness. How does the theory that we are the body answer this one ? There are no answers.
If we are just our physical bodies, then why can’t just fixing it brings it back to life. If we are matter like an automobile, then if something goes wrong with it, then when fixed it should be back to normal again. But it is not like that? why? In fact most of the time the physical body almost has no problem but still the body is declared dead? The argument that we are the body does not answer any of this real questions. So we should NOT blindly accept the theory that we are complex physical bodies made up of chemical elements. It is an illogical theory, with many caveats in it, and it does not even answer the most basic questions.
We will share more information about our real essence in the next post. Stay tuned. thank you
