A Loving Kindness meditation supports the practice of 'bare attention' and helps to keep the mind open and sweet. It also provides the essential foundation to support your insight meditation or mindfulness practice. In this 10 minute version you are invited to wish yourself well and extend this wish to others near and far.

We connect to the breath, taking Nadi Shodhana to the next level when we change the length of the out-breath. With Pranayama we take control of the breath and the flow of prana, but it's just as important to let go of control and let the breath flow naturally. Then in meditation we simply observe...present, awake and at ease.

A calming meditation which focuses on breath awareness, from Thich Nhat Hanh's book, The Miracle of Mindfulness.

Juicy emotional spots can be crucial to our awakening. When in the midst of confusion, when we feel betrayed, irritated or disappointed, we can meditate on the things that provoke resentment. But we forget that these moments can be a practice as well. Tonglen - exchanging oneself for others - is a Bodhichitta practice for activating loving-kindness and compassion. In Tibetan, the word 'Tonglen' literally means ‘sending and taking.’ It refers to being willing to take in the pain and suffering of ourselves and others and to send out happiness to all. Although there are many ways that we can approach Tonglen, the essence of the practice is always the same. We breathe in what is painful and unwanted with the sincere wish that we and others could be free of suffering. As we do so, we drop the storyline that goes along with the pain and feel the underlying energy. We completely open our hearts and minds to whatever arises. Exhaling, we send out relief from the pain with the intention that we and others be happy. When we are willing to stay for even a moment with uncomfortable energy, we gradually learn not to fear it.

Like a vast, open sky, the experience of open awareness is difficult to describe. It relates to the Buddhist teaching of Shunyata – often translated as ‘emptiness’ or ‘openness.’ Experiencing Shunyata at an emotional level, we might feel as if we are big enough to accommodate everything; that there’s no place for things to get stuck. If we relax our mind and stop struggling, emotions can move through us without becoming solid and proliferating. Fundamentally, experiencing openness is having trust in the living quality of basic energy. We develop the confidence to allow it to arise, to linger, and then to pass on. This energy is dynamic, ungraspable, always in a state of flux. This is a meditation inspired by a great teacher and author, Tara Brach, and I recommend you read one of her books about self compassion.

In this fast world and goal driven society it is difficult to cultivate an attitude of curiosity and friendliness that's beneficial for our meditations. Let's dive a bit deeper and explore the mindfulness principle of 'non striving'. You could say that the mind when it's analysing, comparing, planning and assessing that it's actually the Mind at work, but a busy mind is not helpful during a meditation. We can recognise this 'doing mode of mind' as thinking and it are those thoughts that pull you away from the here and now. How would it be if there is nothing to achieve during a meditation. Do a practice just for the sake of doing it, without expecting any results out of it? When we can train the mind to anchor at the breath and be more in the present moment we can open up for new experiences and being with whatever is here and now. Can you lower your expectations and recognise that the journey towards is valuable on it's own. Even when the mind wanders off, even when thoughts or emotions are distracting you, even when the breath feels shallow or uncomfortable. There is nothing you need to do - accept this moment fully, just as it is, pleasant or unpleasant.For your practice you can set an intention. Set this intention not from the mind, let these words arise from a deeper level e.g.; Today I realise truth. Or: May I be peaceful. Or: May I accept the things I cannot change. Or maybe you have a personal intention or word that is a reminder to be easy on yourself. Let this intention be a reminder for what we are actually doing here, we're meditating and exploring different sensations with a 'being mode of mind'.George is leading a more silent mindfulness meditation of 30 minutes.

Kapalabhati is a powerful Pranayama practice that takes a bit of time to feel comfortable with. To begin with, use less force on the out-breath and focus on a rhythmic and strong inward pull of the belly as you breathe out. When you do Kapalabhati, make sure your stomach is empty and skip the practice if you're on your period. After the Pranayama, keep your eyes closed and observe the effects on your mind and breath. George will then guide you through a peaceful, 10 minute meditation.

After a hectic day the mind can be restless. There may be too many thoughts for you to find a sense of ease and calmness and you may have difficulty getting to sleep. In this practice we focus on the breath and mantra to help still the mind. We start with some simple forward bends to warm up and bring a bit more awareness into the body. Then we do some breathing practices to help balance the fluctuations of the mind. We deepen the calming effect of the breathing practices even more by repeating the mantra HAMSO - SOHAM meaning I AM . You may be familiar with SOHAM already. In this class, HAMSO is intended to have a more grounding effect, bringing awareness even more deeply into the body and helping to settle a restless mind.

If you're a sensitive person you can get easily overwhelmed. You might think that you need to process all input. However, that's almost impossible, because the mind then gets overloaded and stepping back or closing off feels like the only option. If the mind is overloaded, we forget that we can still tune into our body; that what we cannot grasp by knowing the mind can be better understood by feeling. In this practice we tune into our body. We follow the breath deep in our belly and from the belly we bring awareness to the heart space. Keep breathing, keep feeling and trust that your heart knows.

Practicing this class will not only help you develop your focus and help you gain more awareness of the spine; it will calm your whole being. This class begins with the Soham mantra, using the breath and spine as a guide. George pinpoints the location of the chakras on the spine and journeys through chakras from there. You can also try George's Chakra balancing meditation to explore developing awareness in the regions where the chakras are located.

George starts class with a few exercises from the Pawanmuktanasana series; yoga for joints and glands. These are extremely beneficial exercises and the effect can reach deep into the body. Pawanmuktanasa exercises can be incorporated into your yoga routine for health, balance and to prevent injury. From there we move towards a full yogic breath - Sama Vritti - where the breath in and out are equal lengths. This quietens the mind and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you to feel relaxed and at ease. This is a seated class so make sure you have suitable props, so you can sit comfortably.

This is a lying down practice you can do even when you're in pain or sick. In Asian countries, when people are ill and not able to work or visit a doctor, they take refuge in the temple. They rest with their whole being at the feet of the Buddha or Quan Yin, a Green Tara. And so can you. Make yourself comfortable and wish yourself well. Be aware of how your body feels when it’s sick or in pain and notice how it affects you. Don't resist, just breathe and surrender... You may fall asleep during this practice and that's perfectly fine. May you be well, may you be free from pain and suffering, may you be healthy and happy.

Maybe you’ve never tried meditation, or you've tried it but didn't 'succeed'. If you're new to meditation it’s a good idea to practice mindfulness, which is about being aware in the present moment. We begin by observing the sensory experience - what we see, hear, smell, feel on our skin or in our body. We can then start to observe the mind and see the thoughts and emotions that come and go. Our mind can go anywhere, to future plans or things that happened in the past. However, when we bring our awareness to the breath - which is always here - we can experience this moment fully.

This Merkaba visualisation can be done in Savasana. The Merkaba energy field balances and revives the activities between the two sides of our brain and strengthens our sensitivities and mental abilities. Merkaba is also a powerful healing and protection tool and assists us in our spiritual growth. Within this energy field you are connected to a higher truth. From the Chakras we have branched energetic lines (meridians) that reach every cell deep into our body.  We have a Prana field that surrounds our body as a result of the meridians and Prana flow. Then there is the field of the aura. The auric field is an egg-shaped energy field that surrounds our body and changes colour according to our thoughts, feelings and emotions. After the auric field we have hundreds of electromagnetic fields, which have precise geometrical shapes. Each one of them is made up of three identical fields with the same size and shape. This Prana field is shaped as a tetrahedron, a three dimensional Star of David. This is your Merkaba. For a visual, you may want to look up 'Merkaba tetrahedron' in Google images.

Let's do a longer meditation together. This is a guided practice of 35 minutes. I'll guide this meditation and invite you to expand your awareness within the body, to your breath and towards the end, we bring this awareness into the heart space.

This is a mindfulness practice where the breath serves as an anchor for the mind. We can observe thinking, and we can hold pleasant and unpleasant sensations with care, equanimity and balance. Can you bring a quality of interest and ease in the way you aim your attention? Can you cradle those experiences with friendliness, interest and care?

In this class, George explains the difference between Kapalabhati and Bhastrika pranayama and teaches 20 rounds of both. It takes time to learn these practices so don't add more rounds until you feel comfortable with them. It's also advisable to ask a yoga teacher to check your technique. You might notice some discomfort when you try to hold the breath in or out, so remember not to force yourself or let yourself get dizzy or nauseous. Be especially aware of how these breathing exercises can calm the mind. Observe the effects as George guides you into a meditation. Do’s and don’t’s: Try to practice these exercises on an empty stomach whilst sitting upright. Stop if you feel any discomfort, like pain, dizziness, etc. This pranayama should not be done during your period, or if you have high blood pressure, hernia or vertigo. Also, don't do this practice in a bath or swimming pool.

This is a Karuna, or self-compassion practice, that invites you to explore the felt sense of appreciation, rejoicing and gratitude. Open your heart to reach out as a human being who sends joy and gratitude into the world. To living beings near and far, to trees, plants and animals. And just as importantly...to ourselves.

This meditation is a short practice to help you connect to your body and mind. A reminder to stop 'doing' and be with your breath so that you are able to acknowledge your feelings in the body and the emotions at play. Step back and observe, breathe and be, slow down and go easy on yourself.

Everything is in motion, there is a natural flow in nature. It is the play of prana and apana. The rhythm of the breath has a natural flow and sound that sounds like 'So' on the in-breath, and 'Ham' on the out-breath. When we focus on the mental sound of So Ham and internalise this mantra the mind will become more stable and quiet. From So Ham we move into meditation as we observe deeper awareness.

A short but important practice to help you develop compassion and practice gratitude by bringing to mind someone who's dear to you right now; someone who is always there and whom you can count on. In this meditation we take time to say: "Thank you for your help, your love and your friendship." Being grateful for special people in your life will help you to appreciate the little things you might have started taking for granted. When we develop gratitude and are more appreciative we can live a more fulfilled and happier life. 

When we do pranayama (breath work) we gain more control over the different energies in our body. Today's exercise has great health benefits - stimulating blood flow, developing strength of the diaphragm and supporting the ability of the lungs to take in oxygen. For this reason, Kapalabhati is an important breathing exercise when we do Hatha yoga. Kapalabhati also has benefits for the mind. When the breath slows down, the heart rate drops, enabling our minds to be steady and still. It may take some time to get acquainted with this practice, so start gently. When done forcefully it can feel uncomfortable. Try to hold your breath in for a longer time after Kapalabathi, this is called Kumbhaka and balances oxygen and CO2 levels in the body after breathing in and out rhythmically. Don’t worry if you can only hold the breath in for a short time - it becomes easier with practice. Kapalabhati is best done sitting upright and on an empty stomach. Stop the practice if you feel any discomfort, like pain or dizziness and don't do this exercise if you're on your period or if you have high blood pressure or vertigo, hernia etc. After the breathing practice, George leads you into a meditation.

This meditation will help you to develop awareness in the regions where the chakras are located on both the front and back of the body. As we scan the body we explore how those regions feel. Guiding the meditation in a neutral way, George encourages you to get acquainted with how it feels when you bring your attention to those areas. We finish with Prana Mudra, sensing the energy/prana in and around our body. A wonderful practice to balance both body and mind.

This is a short meditation and a reminder that we really can practice anywhere and at any moment. Develop more awareness and train your focus in a gentle way by bringing attention first to sounds, then to thoughts, whilst being aware of what is happening in the mind. Remember that the breath can be an anchor for the mind and embrace this moment.

In Metta meditation, we direct Loving Kindness toward ourselves and then expand it towards somebody we love. Then to somebody we are neutral towards. Then to someone we have difficulty with. And ultimately toward all beings everywhere without distinction. Loving Kindness meditation is helpful to support the practice of 'bare attention' and helps to keep the mind open and sweet. It provides the essential balance to support your insight meditation or mindfulness practice. 

This is a practice with more silence and less guidance. Meditating is not only a practice of the mind, we try to bring awareness in the body and stay present with all our senses. Being present can be an embodied awareness.

This meditation can be used at any time but may be especially helpful when you are experiencing difficult emotions such as disappointment, anger, frustration, anxiety or sadness.

Imprints of stressful emotions, memories of things that happened earlier in the day are often relived again when we meditate at evening time. In this meditation we take time to acknowledge the effect of stressful moments on body and mind. To feel and connect again, and to breathe with whatever is here now. Slow yourself down and accept what needs to be felt or lived through before we can close this day. George's accompanying morning meditation is Set your intention for the day

If you often find yourself rushing through your morning routine, this morning meditation will invite you to slow down and connect with your breath. We train this muscle of mindfulness (your awareness) to get a bit stronger and to learn to stay present and just be - here and now. From this place, you can make a felt intention for the rest of the day. Click here for George's evening meditation - Release stressful moments

This is a Raja yoga meditation where we develop more awareness of the eyebrow centre, sometimes called the third eye. We begin with alternate nostril breathing, Nadi Shodhana, after which we stay with our awareness in the eyebrow centre. Visualising a bright moon there and gazing into that light, we become more aware of the eyebrow centre. From there we slowly widen our awareness through the body. Being present while feeling physical sensations, following the breath from moment to moment.

Ho Opono Pono is a special kind of meditation, prayer, or practice which originates in Hawaii. It’s a practice about forgiveness and how to create inner peace. We approach this as a mantra meditation; repeating the same sentence as we keep different people in mind: “I am sorry, please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.” You can read more about the Ho Opono Pono in the book Zero Limits by Joe Vitale. Happy Christmas from all at EkhartYoga!

The class starts with an explanation of how to sit while meditating and how we can ease the spine and soften our posture. Posture is actually less important than we think - firstly because sitting in a 'traditional' meditation pose may increase tension in our body. Secondly, if all our focus is on our posture (particularly if we find it uncomfortable) we cannot open to more subtle and sensitive experiences that meditating can bring. During this meditation practice, which starts at 10:14, we move through the body, scanning the regions where the energy centers or chakras are located. Have a few cushions handy for this practice.

In this meditation we feel through the body in a mindful way. We sense through - and smile towards - the different areas with kindness, bringing friendliness to whatever our felt experience is. We bring awareness to the whole moment - welcoming different sensations, feelings, sounds, thoughts, emotions and breath.

Develop self-compassion by practicing this befriending meditation.

This week George encourages you to make your own schedule for your mindfulness practice. See what you can weave into your schedule. You'll find lots of ideas for maintaining a mindfulness practice in the workbook.

We frequently encounter experiences that we may find difficult or unpleasant. Our relationship with the difficulties in our lives is an important contributor to how much we suffer. With mindfulness we can develop a stance of accepting what is there and learning to soften around it... Radical acceptance

This week George encourages you to continue with your sitting meditation. He also invites you to revisit a stressful situation with his meditation "Gently turning towards the difficult" to begin to understand the impact of the stressful or emotional moment and care for yourself in a different way.

Mindful movement, observe and develop greater awareness as we walk and move.

This week George talks about the reality of meditation, with all the thoughts, sounds and sensations that come up. George invites you to continue your mindfulness practice, combining the sitting meditation from last week with a new walking meditation.

In this class we mindfully explore Hatha standing postures and rest in Savasana.

Mindfulness of breathing, the body, sounds, thoughts and emotions and sitting in open awareness.

In this week we look at how to identify our stress signatures and we become more aware and mindful of thoughts and emotions and the difference between them.

This introductory exercise cultivates curiosity and helps you to create greater awareness.

Breath space is first and foremost a meditation that’s used to punctuate the day, so that you can more easily maintain a compassionate and mindful stance, whatever comes your way. In essence, it dissolves negative thought patterns before they gain control over your life – often before you’re even aware of them. Secondly, it’s an emergency meditation that allows you to see clearly what is arising from moment to moment when you feel under pressure. It allows you to pause when your thoughts threaten to spiral out of control, by helping you to regain a compassionate sense of perspective and to ground yourself in the present moment.

Today we explore Hatha lying down postures and deeply rest in Savasana 

In this talk George explains how we use yoga in Mindfulness to help develop our awareness.

This week we will work with mindful yoga and expand the sitting meditation with mindfulness of sounds and thoughts. We also learn the 'Breath space' exercise - a 3-minute meditation to get you back to a more mindful state.

Using the breath as an anchor is the basis for learning mindfulness meditation.

A little theory added to week two when you are invited to explore the two modes we can find ourselves in also during a body scan - the thinking mode and the experiencing mode. Therefore this week: observe when you do a body scan if the mind is in doing or being mode. 

This week we learn to use our breath as an anchor to guide the mind back to the present. Also this week; watch the talk about the two modes of mind.

This body scan is more than simply relaxation. You will be guided through your body, cultivating presence of mind, developing awareness, noticing mind states and reactivity.

Cultivating a beginner's mind is not so easy, take a mindful mouthful and observe all sensory experiences from moment to moment.

This week we explore the concept of the beginner's mind and practice exercises to open up to everyday experiences more fully through our senses, including an eating meditation and a body scan.You can download the workbook that accompanies this Mindfulness program.

Mindfulness is a life skill which can deepen our sense of well-being and fulfillment. This program is all about finding out how mindfulness can work for you.  Get to know yourself a bit better and learn different tools to bring mindfulness into your everyday life.  This 7-week course includes talks, mindfulness practices and course activities (homework). You will also get a free downloadable course workbook packed with extra information, insights and exercises to help you along the way.