Why do we meditate?

This talk has had a profound effect on me Anat. You speak with great clarity and passion and it makes such sense. I would love to hear more but in the meantime could you recommend any books that would be good to explore this subject further? Your teachings are a gift, thank you.

Thank you Anat for sharing your amazing, insight and knowledge. I have been meditating for years but never in the same way I was able to today after listening to the deep concepts you explained so well. I truly experienced a gap where I felt nothing but total bliss for a very long time. I shared the video with my husband and he was really impressed after meditating for way more years than me. We are both truly grateful for the new tools you gave us. Much love, blessing and gratitude

Thank you, Anat. Well done! I love how you called it "the space inside"...a phrase that articulates what is so difficult to name! Cultivating a meditation practice is the best thing I've ever done for myself. :) Thanks again!

Thank you Anat, well explained and a timely reminder for me. Much love

Wonderful Annat! this has been a fabulous and very valuable information for me! I think you are passionate about yoga and meditation and pass it on in your explanations! I hope more workshops. thank you very much!! Love Namaste✨??

Awesome!!

More like this, please! Thank you, Anat.

A lot of information in a relatively short amount of time, yes, but definitely covering the topic I think. I am a big fan of your classes, Anat, or more precisely, your way of teaching. This talk is no exception. Gradually new information enters the mind and what might once have left a big question mark starts to make more and more sense over time and finally it hits home. I am far from experienced in the art of meditation as such, but through therapy some 15 years ago I am no stranger to looking inwards. I am approx 6 years into a regular yoga (asana) practice now and I have come to realise that a lot of what you are speaking about here has been and is still taking place alongside and because of my physical practice. My mind has been influenced and changed by the physical practice. So far this has worked wonders but I now feel myself drawn more and more towards meditation. More of my practice is getting to be about self reflection and hopefully self realisation and less about the physical activity. I actually believe that I have experienced quite a bit of what you speak of as effects of meditation without really having a meditation practice. As there is only so much asana practice we little old ladies can have during the day I will now definitely look into meditation as a way of calming the monkey mind further down. You have made it seem totally doable :-)

Thank you, Anat... I'm agreeing with all of this wonderful comments how it was very well explained, clear, motivating and inspiring. And I can also listen to your explanation of yoga philosophy every single day. I love your energy and the way you teach on the matt, and I'm loving what I hear ''off the matt''. I'm hoping that this way of teaching us was not a one-time thing and that you will continue with this topic because you obviously have a great gift. Thank you for sharing it with us all. All my love...

Thank you Anat for this clear explanation. I'm so grateful that you take the time to help your students here deepen their practice. Namaste x

Thank you Anat, a great talk, explained extremely well. Looking forward to more :-) Sweet Blessings to you xx

Fascinating talk, I could listen to you all day! Really interesting to learn more about the role of the chakras in all of this too. Thank you, as always, and love x

This was wonderful! As I often experience during my practices with you it didn't feel long at all--as you started to end the talk I thought: "Wait, that's it? It's over! I don't want it to end." This was such a great way of explaining meditation. I know firsthand how wonderful it can be but someone with an overactive and anxious mind I find it very difficult. I always say I will take time but never do. Now I really want to try for at least twenty minutes once a week. I've experienced that feeling that can't be described before in my yoga practice. It's such a beautiful thing that, as you so tactfully said, cannot be explained but only felt. Of course my ego then gets greedy, tries to cling to it and poof it's gone. Haha I think I would really benefit with more meditation practice. Thank you for explaining it like this. I've often felt bad and inferior when I try to mediate and my brain goes in overdrive (suddenly I am planning meals for the week and making shopping lists)--it's very heartening to hear this is a nature reaction many experience. Thank you again Anat!

Thank you so much, Anat. I've studied yoga for many years-- a hobby really, though I completed a 200-hour YTT. And your talk presents this material is such a clear way! This talk has been the most helpful and clear discussion of these really esoteric topics.Again, I've read quite a bit and been to so many workshops and I feel like this 25-minute talk explained it all so beautifully. So, thank you!Maybe I'm also at a point in my life where I'm more able to understand this too. I'm middle-age and successful but all the "hustling" that we do in life is exhausting. Ivy League PhD. published author. Career. Home. Kids. Divorced. Dog.Cat. Vacation home. cars. It all sounds ideal.But does all that matter if a person forget to take care of herself? Or rather for me, even with all the yoga for so long, I was actually using all of that to overlook myself. It's all been a distraction - ironically, even the yoga, if that makes sense. I come home at night, eat a bowl of cereal or a muffin, then go to be at 6:30pm! I'm on anti-anxiety meds. I yearn to get back to an asana practice but mostly what I manage these days is bringing my iPhone to bed with me and I use the "Ekhart Yoga" app - I listen to you, or James Reese, or Esther Tuele-- I listen to your talks or meditations while I'm lying in bed. Too exhausted to even sit up. The way I'm addressing this though (in addition to therapy lol) is to become aware of all this hustling - all the chasing. It doesn't end. There always seems to be more to do, fix, buy, change, improve, replace, update, etc. etc. To what end? Ok, I'll stop now LOL! Thank you again for this talk! Also, do you think you and Ekhart Yoga would ever start a podcast? I take my dog for long walks and I usually listen to the"OnBeing" podcasts on my walks, which I love. But I'ld love to listen to more talks by you and others at Ekhart! Thank you again! xo Kristin

That was very helpful. You covered the basics in a way that is accessible and at the end you really got to the juicy part - the truth. I will hold this in my pocket!

Thanks a lot Anat! That was a great talk...really well explained. You are appreciate :)

Anat, wow, what a wonderful and clear presentation!! I need to listen to it again. You had other presentations in the past that were equally inspiring. I struggle with meditation. Do you have reading suggestions for learning more about what you covered? A big thank you.

So very, very well explained! Thank you so much Anat. :)

Thank you so much Anat ! You explain so well. Mimi

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you Anat X

simple but deep. thank you I . really enjoyed listening to you

Dear Anat what a give, this explanation as a lot have said here is really good and clear, I love the way you linked meditation with yoga, how this can be understand in modern terms, and the link and similarities and differences with therapy... love the explanation to chakras and now feel very interested in reading the book on chakras that you suggested... finally I am about to start to teach meditation soon and this talk really has inspired me I will suggest people to listen to your talk, long term meditators ( Buddhist or not) and new meditators can get a lot from this! Namaste

Meditation will never be the same.......thanksthanksthanks.....I have read a lot of books but this short but clear talk make sense to me... Namaste, Nanda

Wonderful! Thank You! Can’t wait for Part 2.

This talk gave such clarity to the topic of meditation and made me want to sit and discover what "lies behind" with some consistent practice. I feel like there is much, much more you can teach us Anat and eagerly wait for some more talks like this one. Thank you x

Anat, What a beautiful and clear talk. I could listen to you explaining yoga philosophy forever! Loved every word of it. Thank you! Golden Blessings to you.

many thanks anat, so well explained. as i started a regular meditation practise, I found it much more difficult than asana. but now it s easier to let thoughs go, even if some days it s more dificult. it really has a positiv impact on my every day life, and it s right that we become aware of pattern and can break them.... or not, that s the beauty, the freedom of meditation ;-). thanks for sharing, gael

Fantastic talk, Anat. Clear, informative and motivating. It hit the right spots. ;) Thank you!

Very interesting Anat, thank you so much !!! The reason why we practice is something I have to be reminded of every once in a while :-) Thank you<3

What a great explanation. Understanding why meditation is so hard and what it's purpose can be helps me be more determined in my practice. Thank you.

As always, thank you. You're a wonderful teacher.

thank you! what a wonderful warm clarity you give x

Thank you Anat, a lovely clear explanation xxx

very comprehensive talk encopassigng many aspects of yoga philosophy. Very nice, thanks

Anat , your talk inspires me that I don’t get bored & your explanation is so well described. Thank you for sharing this important topic.

I now have a better understanding. Thank you.

Anna, I must thank you for the gift of this explanation. It came to my life at the perfect moment. Thank you for helping me to understand the "clicks" happening lately in my life. Could you please recommend me a book/place/organization/person to whom I could contact/talk to, to delve into this topic? I would be so grateful! :) Thank you, thank you, thank you. Teresa

Great talk- thanks !!

Thank you.Nice and clearly explained. I'm practicing yoga for a while but never really involved in meditation. Yes, sitting for a while, focusing on breath (and thinking what to cook, when I can finish my new project, how coud I take care of my old parents )...Now I'm on the point, you mentioned in the video: it is enough, this is not what I want and what I've expected! This is not me. I hope some day in meditation I'll find another me.Namaste.

Such a wonderful video, we are all on the journey of learning, first we come to the mat, learn the asana, but find out we stay for something much deeper. You explained it so well, the pattern of behavior we keep repeating, becoming our cycle of suffering. Many, Many thanks. Looking forward to the next video. Namaste

Great talk ,so well explained. Thank you Anat.

Always a great teaching experience, thank you Anat. With love

thank you very much for this so well explained lecture. it was very interesting for me to hear what you said about the chakras among all the other very interesting subjects.

Thank you so much for this clear and approachable way to look at meditation, Anat. I have just recommitted to a meditation practice after some time away, and it can be difficult to remember it is a practice that will take time and dedication. This was such a simple but powerful description of the benefits of a mediation practice beyond better sleep and personal relationships. Just the motivation I needed. :)

Excellent talk!!!! Very clear!!! I love it!!! Thanks a lot ??

Thank you, Anat. You have inspired me to delve deeper into my meditation practice.

Yes it certainly takes practice and determination, thank you so much Anat you explain it so well, I love your authenticity! Namaste

In the last month I came face to face with a pattern of my beaviour, that made me feel very uneasy. I was reflecting as this behaviour has always been a part in my life and as it is, mostly... we notice our faults, but there is a huge protection wall, keeping us from actually changing our patttern. So this was the right time and the right talk for me. Thank you Anat. Very motivating . I love it.

Lovely! You are a fantastic speaker! Thanks!

really helpful to pull in the philosophical background and what it means to us and how it plays out. Helpful connections and reminders of the scope of what meditation or mindful practices offer

Wow!!! So many years doing yoga and meditating and this is the best explanation that I have!! Thank you!!

Thank you for that video Anat! It was beautiful to listen you explaining all this. Thanks you so much. Namaste

Love it Anat! Love your clarity and your energy.

I liked that talk a lot Anat, thank you.

fantastic introduction and refinement, thank you

Thank you very much Anat. I love your teachings and classes!

Wonderful talk, thank you Anat!

You're brilliant! Thank you for the reminder. This brought a tear to my eye a couple of times. I am coming back to the practice, thanks to this. Namaste

Great talk , very well explained. Thank you Anat.

Thank you. Such a clear exposition. It has taught me that I can meditate to find my real self rather than carry on trying to improve my unreal self. Thank you.

Great talk, which I listened to after your wonderful explanation of the Chakras. I hope you are planning to do more. ❤️?

Really great talk! Resonated very well and helped bring together much of what I have been studying. Namaste!

How very interesting. This is for me a big motivator to keep meditating. Thank you so much

I just joined Ekhart Yoga on 29th Oct and was very excited to start the classes, but to my disappointment, none of the videos are playing. Just wondering if there is a problem with your server?

So amazing that I stumbled across this talk today of all days, when I just got done talking to my therapist about a need for that other non-physical, non-mental but rather spiritual dimension after reading Singer's The Untethered Soul. Thank you, Anat, for putting this into such approachable terms, and for helping us grow.

Dear Anat, You inspire me too meditate more ! I loved your reply with the words of the Gita “ The smallest effort,when done sincerely , already makes a difference’ . Namaste ??Roliena .

I absolutley loved this short talk, it explained so much to me that no one else has been able to do, I am really grateful thank you xx

thank you dear Anat xxx

Anat, I loved this! You make yoga philosophy so easy to understand. I laughed with the banana and the kiwi example, lol. Thank you for sharing this. This was renewed motivation to stick to my meditation practice.