I'm excited to be part of the #synchronizedmeditations for #innerpeace organized by @ievovl3 . I thought I'd share my current favourite meditation, a candlelight gazing meditation: 1. Set up a comfortable, warm space for yourself. It's best to turn out lights and pull the blinds so you can focus better on the candle. 2. Find a comfortable seat so that your spine is upright, and the curve in your lower back is curving into your body, not rounding back. I like to use a bolster and sit in #sukasana 4. Light a candle and place it a few feet in front of you. 5. I like to begin with a few minutes of pranayama, especially alternate nostril (nadi shodhana) to become more present and less cluttered in my mind. 6. Gaze at the candle, focusing all of your attention on the flame. When you mind starts to wander, bring your focus back to the flame. Envision the light of your candle flowing into you as you breath deeply. Allow that light to surround your heart, so it feels warm and soft. Imagine the light then entering every part of your body, cleansing and replenishing each and every cell. An interesting thing happens when you get deep into this meditation. Because your eyes are fixed on the candle and not moving, they are not providing your brain with any new information to process. As a result your peripheral vision starts to fade away, more and more until you have no visual awareness of anything but the candle flame. Your eyes are open, but all you are aware of and all you can see is the flame. There is a sense of stillness, of timelessness, and you feel as though there is no distance between yourself and the flame - you become one with the flame. You become one with all that is.
