“Meditation”
At the foot of this tree, facing the field of rhododendrons, sit cross-legged and comfortable with your spine stretched out. You can also find a stone or something else to sit on if you feel like your insides are too squashed. It is important to be able to breathe freely into your tummy and your whole rib cage. You can put your hands as in the Lotus Position and imagine you are smelling its fragrance. In yoga, the practising of postures is intended to prepare the body for remaining seated for an extended period of time for meditation and to awaken our awareness and union with the universe, the subtle, the greater than us. Meditation can appear difficult, as our heads fill with thoughts and we feel the urge to move. You can use a mantra to help you concentrate and calm yourself.
Mantras are based on the power of sound. As sound is charged with energy, the vibration of the latter and its resonance transform the environment and the person saying it. It is like a little seed that we sow inside ourselves and water to make it grow.
Reciting the mantra has a beneficial effect on the universe but also on the person saying it, promoting their mental, spiritual and physical well-being.
I suggest repeating the mantra a number of times: Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐ “praise to the jewel in the lotus” to develop an open heart and compassion for others.