Meditation covers the final 3 limbs of the 8 limbs of yoga. Laura dispels the myths around meditation, dissolving the common idea that meditation is ‘not for me’, perhaps for another religion or for people whose families meditate. Instead, Laura explains how meditation is effectively exercise for the brain, flexing the muscle of the mind to cultivate that mental strength and calmness; just as we would flex the muscles of the body in the gym to keep healthy, we have to do the same with the mind to avoid dis-ease. The untrained mind, if left to its own devices, can wander off the past, which can link to depression, or off to the future which can link to anxiety. We are training the mind to keep us in a present state, in the only moment that exists. By observing our thoughts we are free; this realisation helps to see that we are not our thoughts, they do not define us, and we can put them where we want!
As a little bonus, Laura adds in something beyond the eight limbs, another framework we can use to help us find balance. Kleshas are ‘poisons’ which can slow down or stop us on our ‘path’. By understanding common poisons of the mind, we are able to identify how to avoid them. For example, one Kle...
Each of these topics could be deep dived into in more detail, the journey never ends, but Laura has summarised what could be complex subjects into simple, useful, practical topics which we can used to understand our own physical, mental and relational health as a whole, with the hope to offer us ...
