Q&A for How to Do Yoga Meditation

Yes, it does. Doing meditation calms you down and helps with anger, stress and anxiety.

Actually, the purpose of meditation is not to think at all! While you are awake, our thoughts rise and fall continuously. Often, uncontrollable thought flows distract us from being present in the moment, and cloud our attention with unwanted feelings and reactions. By holding your attention to just above the top of your head (where the connection to the Divine is strongest), you can learn to gradually increase the space between thoughts. This simple meditation, when practiced with regularity, will lead to "thoughtless awareness", a state of profound recognition of the beauty of your immediate reality. It is true: We are living in a magnificent creation!

The best way is to focus on these thoughts. I don't mean to go into the thoughts, just focus on the thoughts passing through your mind. And don't reject the thoughts, just let them be and accept them. You'll find that this acceptance is the key.

In yoga, asana refers both to the place in which a yogi/yogini sits and the posture in which he or she sits. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines "asana" as "to be seated in a position that is firm, but relaxed."

Meditate when it's convenient and you can focus. It's often recommended to start a few hours after a meal.

Don't focus on controlling them -- simply learn to let them go without paying attention to them. This can be done during your meditative practice as you learn to empty your mind and focus on your breathing.

Don't try to control your thoughts. Instead, many experts recommend that you notice all thoughts as a passive observer, separate from your mind. Do not force yourself to think about a certain thought, and do not stop any thought from entering your mind. Just observe the thought, and then let it go.

A good general guide is to meditate 15 minutes per day for the first three months of practice. Then increase that to 30 minutes a day for another six months or so. At that time you can assess whether you want to do more. If you want to do more, you can try meditating 15 - 30 minutes, three times daily, once in the morning, once in the middle of the day and once at night. Once you have successfully done that virtually every single day without missing any sessions, and done that for a few years, you can think about doing a bit more. But once you enter the realm of doing about 2 hours of meditation daily, you really have to be very cautious about doing more.

It's your choice to close your eyes while meditating. Some poses may require it but it is not a necessity.

As many times as you wish! It is usually recommended to do some form of light yoga or meditation perhaps just after you wake up or just before you go to bed. It helps to develop a focus point for either the rest of the day or to unwind, depending on what your motive is.

You do not necessarily need a journal. However, you may choose to journal your journey so that you can reflect on it later or monitor your progress. Plus, many people find journaling therapeutic as well. Give it a try.