How to Meditate Like a Rock Star

A few weeks ago I treated myself a one on one meditation session with a yogi at a retreat in Colorado. I went into it thinking all he’s going to tell me is “when you get a thought, release it…” But instead he taught me how to tap into the zone and meditate as a rock star feels onstage.

Sitting across from each other in the small temple, he thoroughly answered my million questions. Then we mediated together. We did a mantra, then sat in silence. Had I been alone, I probably would have taken off half way through the silence. Forced to sit there I relaxed to an even deeper state than ever before. I walked out euphoric. On air.

I can’t recall all that he told me, but here’s a few things that he said which improved my practice. Now I just wish I could find a yogi in my neighborhood.

  • Find a seat. Get comfortable sitting upright. It helps us stay conscious and allows energy to move towards to the crown of the head.
  • Develop your intention. This is where you focus your mind. It should include your full resolve, your deepest wish to know the truth.
  • Give yourself time to settle in and feel the energy of the day. Imagine yourself and whole, open and blissful.
  • Close your eyes and notice your breathing. Follow it in and out. There’s no right way to feel and nothing you have to do except watch the flow the breath.
  • The inhalation and exhalation are like a pendulum. As the pendulum goes back and forth, there’s a moment when all motion stops and the pendulum changes direction. The same happens with your breath when it changes between inhale and exhale. Focus on the point of stillness between the breaths and you will notice that your mind stops as well. The breath and mind are linked in this way.
  • Think on something that makes you feel great. For me, I recall how I feel running at sunrise on a gorgeous summer’s morning. These thoughts will push you even higher (or deeper, depending on how you look at it).
  • Use a mantra as your crutch. Mantras are like having a wall to lean against when your doing a headstand. When you start to feel shaky and might fall out of meditation, the mantra keeps you in line and going. We chanted “Om Namah Shivaya” (oom-nah-mah-she-vi-ya). It means “I bow down with respect to my inner self.” So cool.
  • Use prayer beads or a “mala”. This is a strand of 108 beads used to help count the mantras. It really helps keep the mind from wandering. And used enough, its said that you can go into automatic meditation when you pick up your mala.
  • Don’t be afraid. This isn’t something my yogi taught me, but something I realized that day in the temple. For some reason I was practicing my mediation less and less. And it occurred to me that it’s because I’m hit some “junk”. But as I processed the junk, it wasn’t all that bad at all. No fear.