As of this week I will be leading the class in the ancient technique of active meditation called Karman Meditation. It’s a form of meditation that caught my attention at first sight as it involves movement and being active. The root of the Sanskrit word “karman” means action, and in this case particularly ‘to perform a spiritual action’. So here I am after over 3 weeks of training to learn Karman Meditation, and I will start to lead classes (under supervision). Soon I will be a teacher of Karman Meditation. It hasn’t been achieved without challenges, but that’s a topic for another post.
My general well-being, increased energy, zest for life, stronger and toned muscles, joints and bones, energized chakras – these are only a few benefits of practicing Karman Meditation on a regular basis. My favourite advantage of this form of meditation is that it equally engages all aspects of our being. I like to think about it as a body, mind and soul maintenance. It strengthens our physical self, reprograms and balances the mind and acknowledges the soul.
Karman Meditation is an ancient Indian self-healing technique. It was devised in Northern India for monks who were engrossed in either reading or rewriting scripures all day which left them totally unfit. As most of the movements are practised in a standing position, not much space is required, which was a big benefit in crowded Indian monasteries. The same benefit is even more valid nowadays in small crowded spaces of big cities. Karman Meditation can be practised literally everywhere where there is enough space to stand and stretch your arms to the sides.
Karman Meditation is a set of 14 movements each of which has a very particular meaning to it. As opposed to many other meditation techniques, it doesn’t involve blanking out your mind; quite the opposite – it requires a lot of focus put to each movement. It brings mindfullness to a whole new level. It gives you a routine to follow on a physical level, but because every part of the routine has a specific meaning ascribed to it, your mind is always busy. Busy in a positive way – expanding your energy field, balancing your energy, removing obstacles, sharing, expressing gratitude, energizing your chakras. So there is really no time for your mind to wander off the meditative path since there is always something to do and think about. 😉
The movements do involve some resistance and tension, yet there is still a natural flow to it and the whole sequence makes perfect sense once you’ve completed it. One of my students today actually compared the Karman Meditation sequence to a life code she would love to live by. That’s a beautiful way of looking at a daily practice that can help you prepare better for your daily tasks, face challenges and achieve goals.
It definitely helps me on this new life path – working at the Wayism Center and Studying in the Siem Reap School of Pneumatherapy. It helps me set my priorities and remember what is important in the whole process as I sometimes get lost in panic about not having enough time or not learning quickly enough. The practice of Karman Meditation and even more teaching it made me realize that we can help people in so many ways, small ways that can mean a world to them. And that’s the most important thing, isn’t it?