Meditation can be challenging. Even after you've had a taste of its benefits and long for those sweet moments of inner calm, clarity, and deep connection, it can be hard to just sit. If you're like most people, you may find that one day your mind is speeding into the future, your body feels agitated, and you can't sit still, while the next day you're so lethargic that you can hardly stay awake. Don't be discouraged. Resting with ease in meditation doesn't magically happen. But there is a path to help you get there: Through your breath, you can tap into the flow of prana (life force) to increase, decrease, or focus your energy, bringing you into a state of balance and making it easier to sit with relaxed attention in meditation.
 
Prana flows along energy channels in the body called nadis. The three main nadis are the sushumna, the central channel along the spine through which kundalini, your spiritual energy, ascends; and the ida and pingala, which start on either side of the sushumna and spiral upward in a double-helix pattern around it.
 
Prana moves with breath and mind (which includes your thoughts, mental images, and emotions). A change in one affects the other. Through the breath, you can open, regulate, and direct the flow of prana, which, in turn, will stabilize the mind and body for meditation.
 
 
Simple Meditation:
Sit comfortably in an upright but relaxed position. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your nostrils. As you breathe notice the subtle sensation of cool air passing into, and warm air passing out of, your nose. Without manipulating the breath, simply notice the sensation. Maintain your attention to every breath. Staying relaxed and mentally alert, become curious about each passing one as if it were your first.
If your attention wanders, simply notice the distraction and patiently return to the sensation of the breath. Your ability to stay present deepens by consistently returning to the current moment.
Do this exercise 10 minutes once or twice a day, gradually extending your sessions to 20 or 30 minutes each.
 
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