You hear these key phrases thrown around on a daily basis, “Be vulnerable. Be transparent. Be authentic. Show up. Be present. Live a life of gratitude. Live a life of meaning. Live a life of intent.” But what does it all mean? Do you know what kind of a life you want to live? What kind of person you wish to be or become?

Do you ever lie in bed at night with a feeling of discontentment or lack of accomplishment? Do you ever feel like you are juggling far too much, operating on auto-pilot, or sometimes making errors due to lack of attention?

According to Sheryl Melanson, “This can be the consequence of accidental living or not living with intention. To-Do lists are great, but how do they encompass our sense of purpose or vision? And, while it not reasonable to expect every minute to be purpose-driven, perhaps we each could feel a bit more fulfilled if we injected more consistent intention into our daily living. To live with intention is to depart from our comfort zone—that mindless, habitual state of unconsciousness that is more doing than being.”

When we hold intent, we call forth the actual consciousness (awareness) of the universe and, therefore, have at our disposal all the intelligence contained within it.

While living with intent means showing up and being present in the here and now, it also means reflection and looking inward. Many begin the new year with vision Boards, which is great, but writing as a means for reflection can help give you a wonderful sense of being and connection as you delve in the deep and truly get to know thyself.

Journaling is also a wonderful practice as it gives you something tangible to go back to – to remind yourself of what you want to accomplish as well as showing you how far you’ve already come. Write out your hopes, dreams, and desires – and speak them into being. Then take your practice a little deeper by using meditation as a means to envision what you would like to manifest and what you would like to accomplish or achieve throughout the year.

Setting intent means setting goals, a clear focus of a path and destination. Meditation and reflection will act as your compass and guide in how to get from Point A to Point B.

It is also recommended that when you are doing visualizations or writing down your intentions - do it as though it is happening in the now. For instance, if your intent is to maintain a healthier lifestyle, write something to the effect of, “I had a wonderful meal consisting of quinoa, roasted carrots, and squash. I had so much energy afterwards I went on a 30-minute walk. It was beautiful to be in nature and to feel the sun on my face, the gentle breeze on my cheeks…” Write it as though it is already happening and watch your life transform.

“Each one of us holds transformational capabilities to engage the world constructively through the images of the future we hold in our mind. Our thoughts have power. The power of intent together with action transforms our lives and our world.” ~Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich, A New Year of Peace, Prosperity, Hope

Many people use journals throughout their lives to reflect, to set intentions, for a permanent record for posterity, or a cathartic release. Others carry pocket journals to keep important notes, quotes, or to record snippets of conversations. Journals can reflect accomplishments, personal victories, and entire life stories. Some keep journals to leave something of a legacy behind for their children telling tales of entire generations; outlining specific accomplishments or capturing moments in time. Others use journals as art mediums, drawings, article clippings – or some other form of creative outlet.

Whatever the reason, most people are also very specific as to which medium or type of journal they choose. There are plenty of options and what may work for one person, will not necessarily work for another. Journal types can also vary project to project.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a journal:

Size:

The size of the journal you choose depends on your needs. You may want a mini or slim journal because it’s more portable (for carrying around in your back-pocket or purse), or you might want larger Ultra- or Grande-size journals for writing large and long pages of text.

Sizes (and their approximate dimensions) include, from smallest to largest:

• Micro: 3” x 4.5”
• Mini: 4″ x 5”
• Midi: 4.5″ x 7.75″
• Ultra: 6” x 9”
• Grande: 8.5″ x 12″

You may have to try journaling on a few different size books before you figure out exactly which size is the best fit for you!

Binding:

Your choice in binding depends on how well-built you want or need the book to be. Do you need a finely-constructed book that can weather any storm or is your book generally always going to be in a safe place (like next to your bed)? If you’re carrying your book everywhere or the thought of pages falling out of your notebook horrifies you, you may want to bypass that cheap generic-brand notebook and spend a little extra on a finely-bound one.

Also important: Do you want the book to lay completely flat when open or are you fine with having to hold it open when you write in it? Finally, think about what kind of spine you would prefer. A hardcover or stitched/sewn style looks nicer (in a personal library) than, say, a coil-bound book. However, coil-bound journals typically lay more flat, are easier to remove pages from, and are usually easier to take with you on the go.

Cover:

Even the cover design of a book may be important. Some people may want a simple and subtle design, while others may draw inspiration from something more colorful or lively, ornate or elegant, with quotes, or plain.

Paper:

You may be fine with any kind of paper or you may specifically like something higher-grade. Higher-grade paper will have a smooth finish, a high opacity (the extent to which printing on one side of the paper will be visible on the reverse side) and minimal to no feathering. Feathering occurs when the ink spreads out on the page. Some like exotic handmade paper from other countries. Do you prefer your pages to be lined or left completely blank?

These are just a few examples of things to consider. No matter your preference, Inner Path is sure to carry the perfect journal for you. We carry a wide variety of styles, shapes, and sizes to meet your every need. Click HERE to shop our selection today.

Meditation can be practiced anytime, anywhere, for as little as 10 minutes a day. All you need is a simple, effective technique for calming the mind and relaxing the body, that inspires and motivates you to practice again and again.

*Daily meditation for at least 10 minutes per day has proven physical, mental and spiritual health benefits.

Instructions for Practicing Meditation

How to Sit in Meditation

1. Sit upright in a chair with your spine straight (if possible without leaning against the back of the chair).
2. Place your feet flat on the floor.
3. Turn your hands palms facing upward, placing them at the joint between your thighs and torso, where your shoulders will be able to relax (shoulder blades back).
4. Try to adjust your cushioning so that your legs are parallel to the floor (either by placing cushions under your feet or beneath your sit bones).
5. Tilt your chin down slightly, so that the back of head and neck are in alignment with the spine.

How to Relax the Body

1. Tense the whole body until it vibrates with energy. Release and let go of all tension.
2. Feel the released energy vibrating throughout the body now.
3. Now add a double breath– inhaling sharply through the nose two times (first short, then long). And exhaling through the mouth (first short, then long).
4. Together! Tense and double inhale. Relax and double exhale. Repeat several times.
5. Feel the body especially in its relaxation phase, full of energy and tension-free!

Even-Count (Measured) Breathing for Meditation

1. Keeping to an even-measured count, practice watching the breath. For example: Inhale slowly counting to about 6 (or all the way to 12 if you can!), then hold the breath for 6 counts, then exhale slowly to the count of 6.
2. Repeat this 3, 6, or 12 times, until you feel a sense of deep relaxation.

Hong-Sau Meditation Technique

As taught by Paramhansa Yogananda (author of Autobiography of a Yogi)

1. At the end of your last round of even-measured breathing, wait at the last exhalation for a natural pause before your next inhalation, letting it come about on its own, without your control.
2. When this next inhalation comes, mentally say the word Hong (rhymes with song).
3. Let your exhalation come naturally as well, and with it, mentally say the word Sau(pronounced saw).
4. Continue to watch the breath flow naturally, repeating the mantra Hong-Sau *with each inhalation and exhalation. If you find yourself pausing longer and more deeply, let it happen. These are “Pauses of Peace.”

*Hong-Sau is an ancient Sanskrit mantra, made of syllables that have a special meaning. A given mantra has spiritual power to affirm a truth, especially with repetition. The Hong-Sau mantra means “I am Spirit,” and is affirming letting go of the little self, by absorption into Spirit.

Gazing Upward to the Seat of Spiritual Consciousness

1. Close the eyes.
2. Gaze upward as if you were looking out just above the horizon.
3. This brings the gaze to a point midway between the eyebrows at the forehead.
4. Concentrate here and practice Hong-Sau, increasing the length of time gradually as you practice.

The location of the seat of spiritual consciousness as taught to us by the great yogi masters, is also the location of the frontal lobe of the brain where functions of higher consciousness and awareness have been scientifically-proven to be most active.

Next Steps

• Shop Our Meditation Books
• Meditation for Starters: How to Meditate at InnerPath.com

You are among the first to see our new and improved website. We hope you find it inspiring as well as easy to explore and navigate.

Among the many improvements, the new website features an easier to use navigation system, full mobile device support, useful blogs, and a fully integrated online store featuring products and resources for yoga, meditation and a spiritual life. As we continue to expand and improve our product selection we hope you will visit often to see the growing lineup of new products as they become available.

Whether you're a first time visitor or an old time friend, thank you so much for visiting and allowing us the opportunity to be of service.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Inner Path

Mala beads are meditation tools that have been used for thousands of years. They encourage us to pause, breath, and realign with our deepest intentions and are reminders to invest in moments of grace and self-care. Think of them, if you will, as spiritual forget-me-nots.

The use of mala or prayer beads is common to many religious and spiritual traditions. Known as malasto the practitioners of Hinduism and Buddhism, we also see them in Christian practice as the rosary, used for repetition of the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary, a prayer of intercession to the mother of Christ. Malas are also used for counting out various types of pranayama.

Malas are symbols of the never-ending cycle of eternity. They are often used to aid in the practice of japa meditation which is the repetition of a mantra or prayer. A mantra may be a series of words or syllables, or a single word or syllable, such as ‘Om’, which is considered to be the source of all mantras.

Mantra is a Sanskrit word which consists of two syllables, ‘man’, meaning mind and ‘tra’, meaning tool. Mantra can be translated as ‘instrument of thought. ‘Tra’ also comes from ‘trayoti’, which means liberation. Another translation then is ‘an instrument which liberates one from the mind. By focusing on a mantra very deeply, the practitioner can become detached from his/her thinking process and uplifted into a highly relaxed state.

Choosing Your Beads

Malas can be made from various sacred woods and stones, each of which has particular qualities:

Sacred Wood Malas:

• Rosewood: Rosewood is considered holy and is an important part of ritual malas. It aids in relaxation and the reduction of excessive thoughts and nervous energy. Rosewood has a nourishing, feminine energy, assisting one in developing compassionate and loving heart qualities, intuition and spiritual health.

• Sandalwood: Sandalwood is used for purification, for protection, and for uplifting the mind, body, and spirit. It is said to bring clarity, tranquility and positive energy into our lives. The scent of sandalwood is said to be the closest in nature to the scent that arises from within when one is in a deep state of meditation. Thus it reminds us of the depths of peace within our own being.

• Rudraksha: For the spiritual seeker the rudraksha seed is one of the most prized gifts of nature in all of India. The Hindu myths and legends of the god Shiva, the Great Yogi, tell of the tears he cries for the suffering of the world. The name ‘Rudraksha’ translates as ‘Tears of Lord Shiva’. The outer covering of the seed is bright blue – the color of Shiva’s tears. They are traditionally worn by the sadhus (holy men) and yogis of India, and are said to have been created from Divine compassion for the relief of human suffering.

• Tulsi: Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is esteemed as the most sacred wood used in Indian worship. The malas made of Tulsi wood are considered very suitable for meditation. It can help to increase love, devotion and spiritual growth in the wearer, thus making it an aid in the pursuit of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion. Tulsi clears the aura and is reputed to possess many physical and spiritual healing properties.

Stone Malas:

• Amethyst: Amethyst offers us calm, balance, patience, and peace. It can bring happiness and contentment, emotional stability and inner strength. A highly spiritual stone, it increases our awareness of spirituality and aids us in meditation. It can enhance intuition and psychic abilities.

• Aventurine: Aventurine is a stone of prosperity, assisting one in developing leadership qualities and decisiveness. It defuses negative situations, and opens us to compassion and empathy. Aventurine offers perseverance, stabilizes the mind and stimulates perception. It enhances creativity and opens one to alternatives and possibilities. Aventurine unites intellect and emotion, calms anger and irritation and helps one to live within one’s heart. It also protects the heart chakra.

• Carnelian: Carnelian has long been revered for its healing, spiritual and creative properties. It brings out one’s decisiveness and activates one’s personal power, assisting one in focusing and in self-actualization. Carnelian provides protection from all negative emotions: rage, resentment, bad tempers, and anger in oneself and from others. It helps banish sorrow or depression. Carnelian is associated with the Solar Plexus, Sacral Chakra and the Root Chakra.

• Garnet: Garnet is a stone of harmony, positive manifestation and confident energy. It is a stone which brings one’s being into balance, instilling calmness or passion depending on what is needed. It is connected with the sacral chakra but also cleanses and revitalizes the whole chakra system and expels and refracts negative energy. It is a stone of purification.

• Howlite: Howlite is called the “attunement stone” because it is capable of linking the user to a higher spiritual consciousness, and it can open and prepare the mind to receive the energies and wisdom of attunements. Howlite brings mental awareness, both to current and past-life issues, and facilitates calm communication. Howlite is associated with the Third-Eye Chakra.

• Lapis Lazuli: Lapis Lazuli is a “stone of total awareness” helping to bring conscious attunement to the intuitive and psychic aspects of one’s nature as well as expand awareness and intellectual capacity. Lapis Lazuli brings truthfulness, openness, intuition and manifestation and is said to protects one from both physical danger and psychic attacks.

• Moonstone: Moonstones are a member of the monoclinic family of healing crystals. Like the ebb and flow of the oceans and the rhythm of our own heartbeats, the energetic properties of monoclinic crystals encourage life, action, growth, and transformation. Wearing moonstone mala beads will have an overall calming effect, stabilizing emotions and cooling over-reactive thoughts.

• Quartz: Crystal quartz is known as the “master healer” and will amplify energy and thought, as well as the effect of other crystals. Quartz absorbs, stores, releases and regulates energy. It draws off negative energy of all kinds and balances and revitalizes the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual planes. Clear quartz harmonizes all the chakras and aligns the subtle bodies.

• Pearl: Pearl carries the energy of the Divine Feminine, assisting one in accessing that energy within oneself. It signifies and promotes faith, innocence, loyalty, truth, charity and purity. Pearl enhances personal integrity, and brings calmness and centeredness. It is known as a stone of sincerity and can foster motherly love.

• Rose Quartz: Rose Quartz is a stone of unconditional love and infinite peace. It teaches us the essence of true love and is the most important stone for the heart chakra. This stone purifies and opens the heart, bringing deep inner healing and self-love. It is extremely useful in trauma and crisis, as it is calming and reassuring.

• Tiger Eye: Tiger Eye is quartz that contains oriented fibers of crocidolite that have been replaced by silica. Tiger Eye offers protection and grounding. It encourages a passion for life and enhances willpower. It promotes clarity of intention, boosts self-esteem, and gives courage, determination, and strength. Tiger Eye is associated with the Root Chakra.

• Turquoise: Turquoise is a healing stone, bringing comfort to spirit and body. It is a protective stone, which aids spiritual attunement and enhances communication. It can be used on the third eye to develop intuition and meditation, on the throat chakra to release old vows and free the soul to express itself fully, and on all chakras for balance and alignment.

• Yellow Jade: Jade is a stone of purity and serenity, and of wisdom gathered in tranquility. It increases love and nurturing when placed on the heart chakra. It is a protective stone which brings harmony. Yellow jade, in particular, is energetic and stimulating and can bring joy and happiness, and an understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings.

Using Your Mala for Meditation:

Meditation produces a clearing of the mind in ways that promote a sense of calm and heightened awareness. Hundreds of studies suggest that meditation doesn’t just decrease stress levels but that it also has tangible health benefits such as improved immunity, lower inflammation and decreased pain. Additionally, brain-imaging studies show that meditation sharpens attention and memory. Perhaps most importantly, it has been linked to increased happiness and greater compassion. There are many different ways to meditate, such as using a mantra, looking at an object, or focusing on the breath.

FUN FACTS: Why 108 Beads?

• NUMBERS: 108 vibrates to a 9 which is considered the most spiritual of all numbers.

• ASTROLOGY: Some malas (called Kriya Malsa) are sectioned off into sequences of 12. Doing 12 repetitions relates to the 12 astrological signs. The 9 associates with the navaratna or nine planets.

• DESIRES: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.

• LIES: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.

• DELUSIONS: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.

• HEART CHAKRA: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra.

• SANSKRIT ALPHABET: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, Shiva and Shakti, 54 times 2 is 108.

• PRANAYAMA: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.

• UPANISHADS: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.

• PENTAGON: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees.

• SUN & EARTH: The diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

• MOON & EARTH: The average distance of the moon from the earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

Ashtanga yoga is one of the oldest forms of yoga. It was first recorded in ancient Indian manuscripts, but brought to life by K. Pattabhi Jois in 1948. After leading the yoga philosophy department at the Sanskrit College of Mysore from 1937-1973, Jois established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India which became training grounds for yoga teachers from the West.

Ashtanga, which literally translates toeight-limbed yoga, is influenced by Patanjali’sYoga Sutras, the principles and basic teachings of yoga outlined in 196 short versus called “sutras”. Theseeight limbswhich make up the practice of yoga, or union of the soul with the divine, includesyama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi.

Asana, Sanskrit for “posture”, is but one aspect of the path that most Westerners have come to know as yoga. Jois’s Ashtanga yoga is indeed bedded in tradition than trend, and it is known for its challenging nature. The Ashtanga technique is concerned with linking breath and movement, referred to asvinyasa. The advanced practice utilizes thedristi,the gaze, as a form of concentration and thebandhas, internal body locks, which assist in holding some of the more labored poses. There’s nothing fancy about the Ashtanga practice – no props, music, or extraneous instruction. The emphasis is in remaining present in the moment. Ashtanga yoga encourages the practice of alleight-limbstaught in Patanjali’sYoga Sutras, however, leading to the ultimate “goal” of self-realization.

Watch a session of Ashtanga Yogaled by its founder,Pattabhi Jois.