Kaya Shtiram

Kaya Shtiram is a foundational meditation practice designed to train the body to be still. The practice involves sitting with a straight spine and neck, closing the eyes, and remaining perfectly still for a set period (in this case, about five minutes).
Body Stillness, Meditation Practice, Posture

Kaya means body Shtiram means stillness. So this is a meditation practice that is generally designed to train our body to be still. This is important because as we go into more advanced meditation practices, we need to do them for long periods of time.

• Have you ever practiced sitting completely still for an extended period? What challenges did you face?
• How might developing the skill of body stillness support your overall meditation practice?

While Kaya Shtiram is often used to prepare for longer meditation practices, it also serves as a powerful tool for those anchored in the proprioceptive sense or sense of touch. The practice heightens sensory awareness, revealing the rich experiences hidden within seemingly simple actions like sitting still and breathing.
Proprioceptive Sense, Sensory Awareness, Simple Actions

The good news is that sitting still is actually how can I say this is going to explode your sensory awareness and your kind of ability to detect things you will discover through this practice that there are very simple things that you take for granted, which are actually filled with all kinds of different experiences.

• What sensations do you typically notice when sitting still? How might focusing your attention on these sensations change your experience?
• How can heightened sensory awareness in simple actions translate to greater appreciation and presence in daily life?

As the practice unfolds, participants are instructed to notice the various signals and sensations arising in the body, such as discomfort, itches, or the desire to move, without giving in to them. Perfect stillness is maintained despite these urges.
Body Signals, Discomfort, Urges

Notice the signals that your body is sending you. You may start to discover a tiny bit of discomfort no moving Maybe you feel like shifting a little bit, but don’t shift. You may feel like an itches coming up or maybe there’s a hair in your face or some other minor inconvenience. Remember no movement perfect stillness.

• What bodily sensations and urges do you commonly experience when trying to sit still?
• How can practicing non-reactivity to these sensations and urges cultivate greater mental discipline and emotional regulation?

During Kaya Shtiram, the breath becomes a source of relief and refuge from the intense sensations and discomfort of the body. Focusing on the breath can quiet the body’s signals and provide a center of peace amidst the challenge of stillness.
Breath, Relief, Peace

Notice that as you breathe in and breathe out as you inhale slowly and exhale slowly all the sensations from your body quiet during that brief period of breathing, you have relief try your best to let the breath go for a moment and return your focus to your body.

• Have you ever experienced the breath as a source of relief or calm during times of discomfort or stress?
• How can you incorporate conscious breathing into your daily life to manage challenging sensations or emotions?

Kaya Shtiram reveals the incredible intensity and aliveness packed into the simple experience of sitting still and breathing. The contrast between the discomfort of stillness and the relief of the breath highlights the richness of life’s most basic actions.
Intensity, Aliveness, Basic Actions

Who knew that just sitting there could be so friggin intense and let the intensity of the experience wash over you. The heat, the tension, the energy in that cool sweet all relieving breath deep breath in slowly out in who knew that the breath can be so relieving so refreshing and escape from all of the miseries of your body

• Reflect on a time when you experienced profound intensity or aliveness in a simple action or moment. What made that experience so powerful?
• How can you cultivate greater appreciation and wonder for the richness of life’s basic experiences?

The practice of Kaya Shtiram offers insight into the yogic perspective that bliss is the basic state of life. By directing attention to the inherent richness of experience, rather than seeking happiness through external achievements or possessions, one can tap into a profound source of contentment and joy.
Attention, Bliss, Contentment

But Kaya Shtiram is the one practice that gives us the fastest insight into the core discovery of yoga, which is that life itself and experience itself can be absolutely exhilarating. Even something as simple as the breath, which we are literally doing all day long, can feel absolutely amazing. The difference between sort of a mundane breath and a breath full of life has everything to do with our attention.

• How does the idea that bliss is the basic state of life challenge your current beliefs about the source of happiness?
• What shifts in attention or perspective can you make to experience greater contentment and joy in your daily life?

Kaya Shtiram serves as a foundation for the advanced meditation practices undertaken by yogis, such as those who spend years in solitary retreat in the Himalayas. By mastering the ability to sit still and find richness in the breath, one prepares for deeper states of meditation and transformation.
Advanced Meditation, Yogic Practices, Transformation

Kaya Shtiram is the preparation for what the yogi’s do in the Himalayas. It’s just the first step to allow you to engage in these deep, deep meditation practices that will transform your perspective on life.

• How does understanding the role of Kaya Shtiram in advanced yogic practices change your perspective on the importance of mastering the basics?
• What deeper states of meditation or personal transformation do you aspire to, and how might Kaya Shtiram support you on that journey?

Kaya Shtiram offers a powerful entry point into the rich world of yogic meditation and the profound potential of directing one’s attention inward. By embracing the intensity and aliveness of simple experiences like sitting still and breathing, one can begin to access a deep source of contentment and joy, laying the foundation for even greater transformation.

This is a pratyahara practice – a way to withdraw our attention from the outside world. In this practice, we will sit perfectly still.

Tip

Let your spine be straight, adopt a comfortable sitting posture, and close your eyes.

• Give yourself about 30 seconds to settle into this.

Note

Now, sit still for 5 minutes. Not one iota of movement!

• You’ll notice that signals start arising – an itch, a discomfort. Things can feel difficult or torturous.
  • Notice how difficult it is to hold perfectly still.
  • Do not give into the desire to shift, itch, etc.
• Breathe in and breathe out
  • You may discover that breathing is a relief – that when you breathe, you forget the itch, or it disappears - but when the breath ends, the signal comes roaring back.
  • Suddenly, each breath is a bliss as you breathe with this new awareness.

Summary

Then we will begin the closing of the practice.

• Let go of the breath – let it resume naturally.
• Prepare yourself to end the practice. Do not “give in” to the sensations, but rather acknowledge that movement will come soon.
• Take a deep breath and exhale.
• And move!

You sat for 5 minutes – that’s all you did. You sit for 5 minutes all the time – in the waiting room, in the car, while waiting for an airplane. But sitting can be incredibly powerful, intense, robust. It all depends on the focus of your mind. If you master pratyahara – life can be invigorating, intense, or even exhausting. You can do it even if it is difficult.