How to Start a Meditation Practice, Q&A with Honza Lafond
Starting a regular meditation practice doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We asked Honza Lafond, a teacher of movement and spirituality, how we can incorporate this health-boosting ritual into our daily lives.
When did you first start meditating, and did you encounter any challenges?
I was introduced to the practice of meditation when I was nineteen. It’s kind of surreal to think that was half of my life ago. For a long time, my relationship with meditation followed the usual path of occasional periods of regular practice. The real change happened when I began to question what meditation was truly about and why it has been preserved and practiced for millennia. Finding a powerful “why” behind anything we do is always the key that opens the doorway.
Needless to say, when I finally discovered my “why,” everything changed. I realized that if I wanted to be truly happy in this world, there was literally nothing more important for me to do than commit to a daily practice of meditation. That’s when my idea of meditation transformed from a mindless chore to a meaningful delight, from an uneaseful experience to a peaceful recharge, from a world of mental confusion to a state of clarity. After many years of dedicated practice, I can now confirm that meditation works!
How did meditating change your life?
That’s actually a pretty difficult question. I suppose the simple answer is that meditation changed me, therefore my life, in every conceivable way. You see, meditation is not really something we do, it’s what we are, and that’s an impossible concept for the mind to grasp. A state of meditation, also known as “being,” is not a state produced in the mind. It’s not produced by anything. It simply is. It’s an inner voyage to the very depths of our being. It’s present moment awareness. It is the state of complete rapture in seemingly insignificant moments. It’s about remembering why we call ourselves human beings, not human doings. To put it simply, it’s the feeling of coming home.
Do you have any tips for creating a daily meditation practice?
Start by getting interested and very curious about this ancient piece of technology called meditation, and look for your own powerful “why.” Once you find it, the rest is easy. You already brush your teeth twice a day (or at least I hope you do!), so use that routine as your reminder to sit down for meditation. If you can find the time and discipline to brush your teeth twice a day, you have literally no excuse for not meditating twice a day!
I recommend you make a promise to yourself and your loved ones to make daily meditation a nonnegotiable part of your life. The real meditation is not an intellectual exercise — it’s a daily experiential endeavour.
What advice do you have for people with a wandering mind?
Here is the good news — we all have a wandering mind! The first step in any meditation technique is to begin the process of concentrating the mind. We all already know how to do that when we engage in activities we love: yoga, reading, running, painting, eating, love-making, you name it. The problem lies in our inability to produce this steady flow of attention systematically. So, the practice of meditation begins with the practice of concentration. Whether you focus on an object, mantra, or simply your breath, your mind is bound to wander away every few seconds and that’s absolutely normal. Your job is to effortlessly return back to the object of your meditation every time you realize your mind has wandered. It’s as simple as that, just a little bit of trust, patience, and discipline. Let the gift of time gradually reveal the rest. It really is a beautiful journey, the journey of awakening. I wish you bon voyage!
Want to practice with Honza Lafond? Check out his Move to Meditate series on Alo Moves.
ABOUT HONZA LAFOND
In the past 15 years, Honza Lafond’s path has led him from his home country of the Czech Republic to his current home in Australia. He discovered yoga through his interests in meditation and philosophy and began his physical practice at age 19.
Honza believes the playful nature of yoga is just as important as its disciplined aspects. His empowering teaching style is influenced by life coaching, fitness training, and several yoga lineages, including hatha, vinyasa, yin, and acroyoga. He teaches every class with the hope that each student will find the spark they need to stay present, playful, and inspired to bring their yoga practice into their daily life.
Through a desire to help others follow their bliss, Honza and his wife Claudine created the brand YogaBeyond® and the practice ACROVINYASA™, a transformative stream of yoga that cultivates trust and community.