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As Yoga Journal turns 40, aging is on our minds. And it’s worth mentioning that while we hope to practice asana to the very end, it’s likely that eventually some poses will become less accessible and less safe. Meditation practice, on the other hand, only has the potential to deepen and sweeten over time (not to mention slow the entire aging process among other benefits). So what are you waiting for? Explore this collection of 10 guided meditations and bookmark your favorites for years to come.
#1 Connect with the present moment
Go ahead and breathe, relax, feel, watch, and allow. Try this five-part meditation, a powerful invitation to connect fully with the present moment—and whatever it brings.
ALSO TRY A Simple Guided Breathing Meditation
#2 Meditate on the ordinary
Think about it: Do you give more attention, time, and energy to the dramatic and intense experiences in your life than to the more mundane moments in between? Try this everyday meditation to discover all of the loveliness just waiting there.
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#3 Nourish your heart
The posture of the physical body has strong effects on the emotional. Consider how opening the heart in asana practice can create a sense of expansiveness and joy. On your meditation cushion, you can get similar results by cleansing and nourishing the heart from the inside. Repeat this heart-awareness practice regularly or anytime you’re dealing with strong emotions.
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#4 Get to the heart of gratitude
Japanese Naikan practices encourage an objective survey of yourself and your relationship to the world by shifting your attention from self-centered thinking to seeing things as they are. Try setting aside 30 minutes at the end of the day for this Naikan practiceto discover your deepest feelings of gratitude.
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#5 Ignite your intuition
Use this practice to call on Saraswati, the embodiment of intuition, whenever you need to remember your highest truth from within. Are you standing at a crossroads in life? Is your rational mind dominating your decision-making? In this meditation you will seek a balance of receptivity and courage to follow your highest path. Try this three-step meditation to follow you inner GPS.
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#6 Define your dreams
Are your dreams fuzzy? Elena Brower offers a practice, inspired by her personal development training in the Handel Method for bringing it all into focus. Try the four-step practice and start living your dreams.
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#7 Identify your dharma
Are you living in alignment with your true purpose? Try thisfour-step mind-mapping meditation to find out.
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#8 Discover the power of love
Love is universally recognized by ancient cultures and traditions for its healing powers. Today, Western researchers acknowledge both its benefits for the immune system and mental health. With regular practice, this lovingkindness meditation will help you improve all of your relationships.
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#9 Dwell in your lotus heart
In this practice you will visualize your heart as a lotus flower unfolding at the center of your chest, as your spiritual heart awakens. Try this heart-focused meditation to direct awareness to your heart chakra, a place of unconditional love, as you practice training your mind.
ALSO TRY Deepak Chopra’s 7-Step Meditation to Open Your Heart
#10 Stargaze to deepen awareness
In the wilderness, it can be tempting to get caught up in “doing” something—snapping a shot for Instagram or reaching the destination before dark, say. But that kind of focus overlooks the natural world’s invitation to leave behind our fixed concepts and come into a closer proximity with reality—what Buddhist teachings call “nonconceptual awareness.” Try this stargazing meditation to deepen your intimacy with the natural world and the ultimate reality.
EXPLRE MORE Guided Meditations