In meditation, we begin by remembering, usually. If you practice every day, you will quickly find a shift happening to being held by nature.

Remembering

We remember, oh yeah, I want to meditate. I have time. It's so relaxing.

What was that mantra again? What was that way of breathing I like? What is that opening prayer?

We remember our technique. It is okay to be in a state of not knowing, then to inquire within, hey, mind, what is the technique here?

Remembering is a beautiful process and it can take a second or two, or a few minutes of exploration. And at times, the whole flow of meditation is just here, and carries you.

Once you get a hint of your technique, away you go on your journey into yourself.

Supporting

For a moment, you may "hold in your mind" the mantra, technique of breathing, prayer, sutra, movement, Mudra. I know this sounds surprising, but this moment of holding may be just half a second. The mantra or mudra or breathing pattern no sooner comes to you than you let it go and let it carry you.

Allow the motion of your attention to carry you. Allow yourself to be held by the practice.

This is a little journey and an adventure. It may hurt. When your quality of attention and your muscles shift from holding it all together to being held, you may ache with relief. The areas of your body that were tensed begin to relax and as circulation increases so does sensation.

The Sanskrit word used in Ashtanga Yoga model is dharana ( धारणा  dhāraṇā ), part of a family of words pertaining to bearing and supporting. Dharana is often translated as "concentration. One-pointed focus of mind. Effort is implied, and if you watch people who think this is the technique, they tend to scowl, to furrow their brows as they try to narrow down the scope of their attention. This is almost always a bad move and it backfires. Meditation is infinitely customizable, so it's possible that this may work for one person out of a million. For everyone else it is a sure way to totally prevent meditation.

If you look at dhara you can see right here is the principle that God is holding the world, supporting everyone, carrying everyone. Krishna, Shiva, whatever your favorite conception of the laws of nature and the Higher Power.

I think people in 12-step programs talk about realizing that you are not God, and that you can surrender to the Higher Power.

This aspect of meditation, of holding and being held, is a rich realm of wonderful, nourishing experiences.

I am being held by the Earth itself. I am being held by gravity. I am being held by the generosity of the ocean and the atmosphere. I am being held as the Sun holds the Earth in orbit. I am being held by the wisdom of my body, that knows how to rest.

Just like in breathing, we breathe out then we breathe in, life is a rhythm of opposites.

Once you have remembered, oh yeah, I know how to meditate, then allow yourself to be held by the practice.

If you are breathing, you can notice how you are being held and supported by the ocean of air surrounding the Earth. You can enjoy the way the Earth is holding you to her surface, giving you ground.

Technique

When you notice yourself holding anywhere, remember the opposite, being held. Accept the gift of whatever "holding" you notice, and use this as a doorway to the experience of being held.

This tiny shift of attention makes a world of difference for people who have busy responsible lives. They are always holding the world together, holding the family together, the business, the team. The very last thing they need is for meditation to be more holding, more willpower.