When was the last time you entered this area? Where you don’t want to go now, you just go. For some people, this mental state occurs when they are active, such as running, surfing, dancing or listening to music. In yoga, we call it unconscious Zen.

Isn’t it a kind of freedom to do it voluntarily without taking part in any sports activities? That is meditation.

One of the main intentions of yoga and meditation is to concentrate your thoughts and take root in the present. In our daily life, it is easy to fall into the past and be controlled by memories, patterns and fears. In addition, in our western culture, attention to the future, action, realization, reaching a certain place or buying something has pulled us out of the present.

When you start meditation practice for the first time, you may find that you actually have hummingbird attention span. The students confessed how they found meditation the ultimate challenge. When we finally sit back and wait for death, we realize that we often have fleeting and frequently repeated thoughts that travel through our minds. Our brains can feel that we have a group of wild monkeys jumping off the wall without windows. It is a hilarious and often shameful experience to really turn your attention to your heart and listen.

It’s easy to distract yourself. Focus is a challenge, but it is worth the effort.

Don’t we all want to feel more focused and clear? In our busy world, getting rid of distractions and focusing on one thing may make us feel impossible. When you can sink into constant attention, you are fully present and truly at the peak of your personal strength and light. Being present can be equated with freedom, because you have released any attachment to future results and accepted the present situation.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is regarded as a pioneering text of yoga. Yoga is defined in Yoga Sutra 1.2: Chitta vritti nirodaha: Yoga is an ability to guide the mind without distraction or interruption. Or, in other words, let the wild monkeys be quiet.

Sounds simple, right? Simple yes, but not easy. Discipline, commitment and patience are the basic tools for developing meditation habits.

By focusing on practice, you learn to eliminate interference and focus on what happens every minute and every breath. True awareness and clarity arise when you are absorbed in the present. Try one of our four meditation classes this week and embrace the present.