Which form of meditation to practice?
There are countless forms of meditation. In my experience, the best way to find the one that suits you best is by trying different methods. Sometimes, serendipity also plays a role.
The form of meditation I most frequently teach and also practice myself is called Kanda Meditation.
How to start to practice the Kanda Meditation?
The first step is to learn level I of the Kanda Meditation. A one-hour introductory workshop is ideal for this purpose.
Alternatively, you can learn how to practice the Kanda Meditation in a private class. This takes about one hour for the basic technique.
Both options are available on-site as well as online.
What matters most is that you integrate the meditation into your daily routine afterward, ideally in the morning before starting your day. Even 10 minutes can help you approach the day with greater clarity, focus, and calm.
Guided Meditations
To support integration into daily life and for those who enjoy meditating together, I offer online guided meditations for the different levels on weekday mornings:
- Level I: Fridays
- Level II/III: Tuesdays
- Level IV: Thursdays and Sundays
The meditations start at 6.00 am on weekdays and last about 25 minutes. On Sundays, they begin at 7.00 am and last about 40 minutes (including a short chanting session).
The guided meditations are included in the monthly fee. If you practice using the general Ashtanga Yoga Plus ten-class card, each meditation session counts as half a unit on the card. Alternatively, you can purchase a “small” ten-class card for meditation (and Pranayama), which costs half as much as the general ten-class card. Participation in a single session without a monthly subscription or one of the ten-class cards costs 11 €.
Meditation online
The meditation techniques are also an essential part of the energy work I offer.
Meditation on site
What is meditation?
The term “meditation” (from the Latin meditatio, meaning “to think, contemplate, devise, or ponder”) encompasses various exercises designed to calm the mind. Some of these practices date back thousands of years and are integral to Eastern and Western religious traditions, while others are modern methods with no religious context. In Yoga, meditation is, for example, one of the limbs of the eightfold path.
There are many different types of meditation. The most well-known include mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation (such as Transcendental Meditation), Vipassana meditation, and Zazen meditation.
Common elements of meditation include practicing in a quiet space with minimal distractions, adopting a specific posture (often seated or lying down, though walking meditations also exist), and focusing the mind on an anchor. This anchor could be a word (e.g., a mantra), an object, a specific practice sequence, or simply the breath. In its optimal form, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga can also be considered a form of meditation — a movement meditation.
Questions and answers
Is meditation suitable for everybody?
In principle yes, with a few exceptions. In cases of deep depression, in psychoses, certain forms of epilepsia and a few mental illnesses, meditation is not appropriate.
It is also important to find the meditation style most suitable you.
For many people “sitting still” is a big challenge – for them dynamic meditation styles for instance Ashtanga Yoga are more suitable.
My personal path to the Kanda meditation
For me personally, meditation has helped me since my adolescence to cope with stress and moments of upheaval in my life. It is an important source of strength and a path to more understanding and inner guidance.
Initially, I practiced simple meditation the breath, then for about a decade mantra meditation (concretely transcendental meditation).
The meditation techniques that I have been practicing since 2002 have been taught to me by Christian Lamilhau. They are partially derived from Taoism, Qi Gong and Tibetan Buddhism, partially Christian himself.
I have “translated” these techniques into the space of yoga, under the heading of “Kanda meditation”. The kanda is the deepest reservoir of life energy in our body – on a deeper level than the chakras.
Effects of regular Meditation
In general, the goal of meditation is to achieve a state of consciousness that differs from everyday awareness, characterized by a unique form of mindfulness and deep relaxation. The effectiveness of meditation requires regular practice over an extended period.
Today, numerous scientifically valid studies demonstrate the positive effects of regular meditation on mental and physical health. Of course, the type of meditation chosen also plays a significant role.
Certain forms of meditation can help with high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety disorders, and insomnia. Cognitive abilities, such as concentration, improve, and the ability to cope with stress is also enhanced.
Recommended Reading:
Rupert Lay: Meditationstechniken für Manager
Jon Kabat-Zinn: Im Alltag Ruhe finden.
James Kingsland: Siddhartas’s brain – Unlocking the ancient science of enlightenment.
Sealing the energy at the end of the Ashtanga practice
There is a place beyond the ideas of right and wrong. I’ll meet you there.
Rumi (1207 – 1273)