From activity to stillness: dynamic meditations according to OSHO

Osho's active meditations are optimally suited to our modern world. If you're having trouble sitting in stillness and are plagued by anxiety and endless spinning thoughts, then you might want to give it a try. We will tell you more about this form of practice and introduce you to two well-known Osho meditations.

Most people think of sitting still on a cushion when they hear the word meditation. Anyone who has tried this knows that it is not always easy. Many of us move through everyday life at an enormously high pace, and internally we often race from one thought and “to-do” to the next. Such a high-speed train cannot be stopped within seconds without difficulty. In my work as a yoga teacher, I have long learned that very active, overstimulated people usually need to be slowly calmed down through dynamic practice.

Osho meditation

One who understood this deeply many years ago was the well-known spiritual teacher Osho. In the late 1960s he developed various active forms of meditation. Because he was convinced that we humans are now much too agitated to be able to relax and go straight into silence, and that we first have to go through a kind of purification process:

Get rid of the ballast of everyday life: The active forms of Osho meditation are therefore usually structured in such a way that they begin with a very dynamic part in which dancing, breathing intensively, shaking and moving the whole body. Only then does a phase of silence and classic meditation follow. Experience shows that meditation beginners in particular find it a little easier to get into practice. Experienced practitioners usually know when silent meditation is good for them and when they need to "shake something off" first.
In the following we present two well-known active meditations by Osho, one for the morning and one for the evening:

Kickstart the day - The dynamic meditation

Probably the best-known Osho meditation lasts one hour, is usually practiced early in the morning, and has five phases. The eyes should always remain closed. Practiced in a group, it is a very special experience and it is advisable to first get to know it under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

• In the first part (10 minutes) you should breathe "chaotically", quickly and violently through the nose, with the focus on the exhalation.
• In the second part (10 minutes) the instructions are: Explode! In this cathartic phase everything that has been loosened by the intensive breathing is allowed to come out. It can be wildly danced, screamed, raged, shaken, howled, laughed and sung.
• In the third part (10 minutes) you jump up and down with your arms raised and repeat the mantra “HUH!” – until you are exhausted.
• For the fourth phase (15 minutes) it is important to stay in the exact position you are in when the "Stop!" comes. It is observed what is happening.
• Finally, in phase five (15 minutes), you can dance and celebrate life. The movements express what is just emerging from the depths.

As with most Osho meditations, there is specially composed music for this practice.

shake it baby – The Kundalini meditation

This active practice is great for getting rid of excess energy or uncomfortable feelings like restlessness, anger, heaviness or stress before sitting on the meditation cushion or laying on the yoga mat . Although it is traditionally practiced in the evening, I sometimes start the day with it because it gives me more momentum and ease.

• In the Kundalini meditation, the body is first shaken for 15 minutes to the appropriate music . This takes some effort at first, but it's really worth it, because it relieves tension and allows energy to flow.
• In the second phase you can dance to your heart's content - also for 15 minutes.
• Then follows the third phase of 15 minutes, in which one turns inward while standing or lying down, becomes still and observes what arises.
• In the last quarter of an hour you lie down and enjoy the silence.

I wish you lots of fun, curiosity and lightness in exploring the many different forms of meditation ! Allow yourself to practice whatever techniques work best for you.