Meditation

Breathing exercises naturally extend into the withdrawal of senses, concentration and meditation, which supports mental resilience and focus. Regular practice helps manage pre-race nerves and develop a calm, clear mindset, which is valuable for maintaining motivation and tackling long or challenging training sessions.

The same focus that helps you sit still for five minutes can help you stay composed during mile 20 of a marathon, or hold form through the last set of a hard lift. It’s not a shortcut to enlightenment - it’s reps for your mind.

Realistically most times when you're "meditating", especially at the beginning, you're just trying to get your senses to quiet down. Sometimes it's sounds in the room bothering you, an itch in your back, maybe the lights are too bright - just getting through that stage where none of it bothers you takes a lot of time. Eventually you will hit a point, where you truly are connected on breath and focus, where you enter the next stage of meditation.

Dharana (concentration) focuses on cultivating single-pointed concentration, typically through meditation techniques. The aim is to quiet the mind by focusing on an object, mantra, or breath.

Dhyana (meditation) is the state of uninterrupted flow of concentration. Through meditation, the practitioner enters a deep state of contemplation and unity with the object of focus. You'll know it when you get there. But don't even dwell on that idea or concept too long - if you do, you've lost it.

Meditation is how I entered this entire world of yoga. I've always been interested in Buddhism and spirituality and all of that jazz, but reading about meditation as a tool for performance is what made me take it seriously at the beginning of my professional career. That practice alone changed my life.

As a neurotic New Yorker that was used to pounding multiple coffees a day, I didn't realize how on edge I lived. Before that I was an anxious, angry kid that felt powerless most of the time. Through breathing techniques and internal reflection through meditation, it helped me sift through the noise of my mind. I sure as heck ain't calm or a zen yogi, but is has shown me how to be far less reactionary and more intentional in many of my actions.

After five years of daily meditation and I'm still struggling with aspects of life...but that's life. I'm much better than I was before and I'm proud of that. The great work continues.

How to Start

You don’t need incense or a shrine. Just sit down and breathe:

1. Find a comfortable seat (floor, chair, whatever works)
2. Set a timer—start with 2–5 minutes
3. Close your eyes and focus on your breath
4. When your mind wanders (it will), gently bring it back
5. Repeat daily

That’s it. This is attention training. Over time, it builds the kind of calm that doesn’t crack under pressure.

Samadhi (bliss, or enlightenment) represents the ultimate goal of yoga - self-realization and unity with the divine. It's a state of bliss where the practitioner experiences profound inner peace.

OK, peak hippy dippy. I'll say this - I've always been interested in spiritual systems and have studied all of them for years: the Abrahamic trio of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, eastern religions like Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, the systems of the First Peoples in the Americas, the religious practices of African people like the Yoruba, the Greco-Roman culture, and so on.

At the absolute root, they all say the same exact thing - every single living being, especially humans, can have a direct experience with the universe through inner and outer practices. Eating right, thinking clearly and calmly, being a good person and spending time in deep reflection.

I grew up Christian, but I always felt like the Bible was mostly a form of historical record versus clear instructions on how to connect with God. And it always felt a little odd that it had to be done through an intermediary like a pastor or a priest. There's nothing wrong with that, and I believe you need enlightened people seperate from society that can advise people in general. But the focus should be on your personal relationship with the universe as well, and people should be encouraged to pursue it.

When you look at the deeper history of all religions, especially the sects of those groups that focus on the direct personal experience - Agape, Kabbalism, Sufism, they feel the same way. So the point is, try to live right and you'll feel right. Maybe you'll experience something wonderful on the journey.

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Foundations

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Principles For Life Yeah, yeah, I know. Whenever I hear people talk about hippy dippy stuff I get weirded out too. But here’s the point - this is just another system of ethics and discipline. A lot of these concepts exist in other places like Buddhism, Gnosticism, Stoicism, Sufism, Taoism

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When used with awareness, breath becomes a powerful tool for regulating energy, focus, recovery, and emotional state. It’s not background noise—it’s the remote control for your nervous system.

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Meditation | Sendō

Meditation The Withdrawal of Senses Breathing exercises naturally extend into the withdrawal of senses, concentration and meditation, which supports mental resilience and focus. Regular practice helps manage pre-race nerves and develop a calm, clear mindset, which is valuable for maintaining motivation and tackling long or challenging training sessions. The

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Applications

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