My "Evening Reflection & Meditation" practice:

This is my second-to-last Raja-Vinyasa Apex Yoga™ practice of the day, and consists of two parts. Part one is the “reflection” phase, followed by part two, which is the “meditation” phase.

I typically practice this at the end of the evening in a seated meditation posture before or after getting ready for bed and it typically lasts around 20 minutes, but the entire practice can be as short as 5 minutes or so, or can extend upwards to 30 to 45 minutes depending on the length and depth of the “reflection” and “meditation” phases. The reflection phase is usually much shorter than the meditation phase, typically anywhere from 30 seconds or so, up to several minutes, depending on the day’s experiences. The meditation phase is usually much longer than the reflection phase, and lasts at least in the 5 to 20 minute range.

On occasion, if I am quite tired from my day’s events and activities, I might do this whole practice for a shorter period of time before I fall asleep in conjunction with my last practice of the day, my Gratitude and Oneness Meditation practice. On the other hand, on occasion, if I experienced something very significant that day, this practice might last much longer and even cascade into additional phases of contemplation, readings, or writing before I go to bed.

The “reflection” phase of this practice is very special in that it creates the space and opportunity to reflect on my day, learn from my experiences, and express gratitude for the day. It allows me to contemplate events and experiences of the day, identify any moments of personal growth or awakening I experienced and ensure I have instilled them within me, in a way that is most helpful and meaningful along my journey in life. The reflection phase also allows me to practice humility and sincerely reflect on any mistakes I might have made during the day, and in turn note how to address or correct them as possible, and on occasion I might even note this as something for further contemplation/action for the next day.

The “meditation” phase of this practice is also very special in that I allow myself to be open to whatever form of meditation feels will be most helpful and resonate the most for me at this time on my journey in life. Sometimes my meditation is just closing my eyes, breathing naturally, and simply “observing”. Other times it may be scanning my body from toes to head, including my mind, relaxing each area during the scan, and then bringing my attention to my breath. Sometimes my meditation might be with a natural breath, or it might be with the Ujjayi pranayama. Sometimes my meditation might be focusing my awareness on my breath, counting each breath by one on each inhale and exhale, from one to ten, then starting over at one on the next breath after ten is reached. And sometimes I practice more advanced meditation techniques which I won’t take the space or time here to discuss, and are best to practice with the direct guidance of an experienced practitioner.

Om Shanti,

Keith Wolfe, founder of Raja-Vinyasa Apex Yoga™