Meditation is an art or methodology or a technique of changing the direction of your attention from the outside worldly activities to inside of you. The most important ingredient in meditation is the ATTENTION. Wherever your attention is, that's where your energy is. When we let major part of our attention in the outside worldly activities go, we tend to spend most of our energy in those areas only. We keep on doing this till we get exhausted or run out of energy. It is then a physical requirement that we must recharge ourselves. Conventionally speaking we do so through sleep, rest or other sources of recreation etc. However, meditation goes beyond all these rudimentary means of restoration. It embraces a wholesome or integrated approach, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Any good technique of meditation should take us through all these areas so that we are totally revitalized. It may be appropriate at this time to identify the objectives of mediation as follows:
Objective of Meditation
Objectives of meditation are threefold:
· To consistently energize yourself in such a way that, while performing all your daily activities in life, you are not adversely affected by the world's tiring, negating, frustrating and upsetting elements. On the contrary, you keep yourself consistently charged with positive energy so that the journey of life as a whole becomes a joyful and fulfilling experience.
· To establish yourself in your higher nature, which is freedom- Awareness and Joyfulness. By operating the daily activities from this mode, all activities performed not only become excelling in all respects but also become a source of joyfulness and fulfillment. Hidden in this whole process is the real freedom. This freedom is not physical. Rather, it is emancipation from fear, anger, attachment and insecurity
· To reestablish the lost connection with the Supreme Energy so that a person realizes his or her interconnection with the rest of the universe. This universal connection not only enables a person to be able to access infinite energy, information and resources, but also a realization of a bigger family. To express it technically, it means unity consciousness, e.g., merger of individual spirit with the Supreme Energy. This also means seeing individual beings in your Spirit and also in the Supreme Spirit pervading everywhere.
Before we start other aspects of meditation, it is also important to identify requirements for successful meditation as follows:
Requirements for Successful Meditation
· Openness: How open or free you are from past beliefs, conditioning, religious connotations, concepts, cultural behaviors and rituals etc. How much you allow yourself to go through meditation experience. It is seen that the more open you are, the more you experience the positive effects of meditation and vice versa. Open attitude is extremely important. In this regard, it may be mentioned that appreciating good experiences or good moments or good interactions are quite helpful in breaking the barriers of a closed attitude
· Aspiration: How much you are aspiring to go through the experience of meditation also makes a tremendous difference in the quality of meditation.
· Giving: The more you share or give, the more you experience the spontaneous flow of all kinds of energies, physical, emotional, intellectual and spontaneous. This has a tremendous cleaning effect on the inner toxins in a being. It is for this reason that any successful meditation is concluded with transmittal of positive/revitalizing energy to some needy person. This practice returns back, on its own, with lots of pure energies for the transmitter.
In addition there are other factors, which are quite helpful in this area. These include appreciation for the natural beauty, being humble and polite in day to day life, being more of an observer rather than an involved person and having more of an awareness attitude than a judgement attitude concerning others with whom you interact. Meditation has absolutely no requirement whatsoever as regards age, sex, race, religion, concepts and beliefs etc. This means anyone can learn meditation and practice in daily life to realize the following benefits:
BENEFITS OF MEDITATION:
General Benefits:
General benefits of meditation are as follows:
Peace: Everyone wants peace. It is hard to find anyone who does not want peace. A regular practitioner of meditation first experiences calmness, which simply means he starts settling down from the outside worldly disturbances. Once a person has calmed down, continuation of meditation practice will take him/her further to inner silence. This experience of inner silence is nothing but peace within. This is an inner experience of tranquility and harmony. Such a personalized peace cannot be bought anywhere in the whole world. It is in this inner peace that a person can experience higher realities of spirituality, such as divine revelations etc. When this peace is realized inwardly, the world around automatically becomes peaceful. This happens because what is inside of a person is exactly what he finds outside. Any thing done in this peace is positive and excelling in all respects. As such, it is extremely important that everyone realize the importance of this everlasting peace. Without this, the whole life is just shackles and broken into unhealthy pieces.
As a note of caution: it may be mentioned that some time the external disturbance is so severe that it almost tears a person apart. Such disturbing situations keep on building the tension, which further cause many ailments. One may try to get some relief from tranquilizers etc., but it is not a permanent relief. Besides, these tranquilizers on a long -term basis can cause addiction and other harmful side effects. Meditation, in this respect is a proven alternative and is without any side effects whatsoever. In addition, the practice of meditation makes a person feels so pleased with his own efforts that he has been able to do away with the tension build-up with his own inner power of the Spirit. This opens a gateway to many other good things such as inner directions and access to infinite resources for achievements of personal goals etc. to make life more joyful
Energy and health: With a definitive practice of meditation, a person can energize himself or herself on an ongoing basis. The revitalizing aspect of the Spirit within can be brought into contact with centers of energy and health. These centers, which had been lying dormant, become active and a person starts experiencing more vigor, dynamism and better sense of well-being. Specific practices of such meditation will be discussed later on in this chapter.
Achievements of Goals: Meditation practitioners are encouraged to use a specific meditation. First realistically identify goals. These goals cover wholesome approach including physical goals, emotional goals, intellectual goals and spiritual goals. Once these are defined, a specific technique guides them as to how to sow seeds of these goals in the inner consciousness. They are further guided as to how to link the Supreme Energy to the realization of their goals, do their level best as prompted inwardly and then let go. This practice of meditation opens the person to infinite energy, awareness and resources to materialize all their goals. Gradually and spontaneously, this practice brings Spirituality at the working level and it becomes a part of one's life.
Without this practice, a person is just using his physical self, maybe to the maximum possible extent. However, that is extremely limited and many times very frustrating. With meditation, a person uses the formula; "Least Effort -- Maximum Output" and also learns how to free himself or herself from deep attachment to the results of the goals. A consistent practitioner of meditation knows for sure that it is only when a person, having done his/her best, frees himself, the Supreme Energy comes into play and takes over the materialization of one's goals. Everything happens and this happens out of one's alignment with the Nature. As we know Nature works in a harmonious and unrestricted way, it is extremely important to be in that mode. That's where meditation comes in really handy.
Fulfilling and loving relationships: With consistent meditation, a person effortlessly opens up to love and be loved; there is no holding back. It just happens and you keep going with the flow of love. It just flows as water flows in a river and you just go with this flow. It is beautiful, it is romantic and it is joyful. Being in love is the most beautiful and most fulfilling experience of life. As it is unconditional, it opens the person tremendously. As it is free from expectations, it takes the person toward freedom. Fulfilling and loving relationships provide an experience of ecstasy of spirit. As spiritual meditation keeps on cleaning the stains from the mirror of the heart, the purity of love radiates miraculously. This works like a magnetic attraction between the lovers. They enjoy being together in every thing they are involved in. They experience beauty, romance, love, bliss and unity consciousness. Isn't that marvelous? The magic of meditation brings this enrichment in the working life of two people meditating together on a regular basis. This commences the process of expanding their love to all those people who come in contact with them.
Creativity and Abundance: By meditating on a specific energy center and with a definitive technique, a person starts to become more and more creative. Abundance is the natural outcome of enhancement in creativity.
Awareness: With ongoing practice of observation and nonjudgmental attitude, awareness in a person starts growing in almost all the areas of life. The areas that show immediate improvement include the intake and the appropriate speech at the appropriate time.
Healing or Revitalizing: By drawing the vital energy into the system; the sustaining attribute of the Spirit; healing of certain malfunctions in the body starts taking place effectively. In practice, a winning combination of medication fantastic results. Many people have benefited in this respect. Also where lots of people go for external revitalizing programs, the internal revitalization through meditation has proven really amazing. In many cases, even the need for external revitalization starts disappearing.
Better Vigilance: By dwelling into the eardrums and by pouring the vital energy into the ears, the hearing power of the person starts to improve gradually. This raises the vigilance level. A note of caution: it is not a replacement for ear doctors' treatment.
Better Vision: Similar to better vision, by dwelling into the eyes and by pouring the vital energy into the eyes, the vision starts improving gradually. A note of caution: it is not a replacement for eye doctors' medical treatment.
Developing Intuitive Capacities: Extra sense of perception starts to develop effortlessly. Many business executives find this quality an extremely rewarding experience in the business environment. In fact, this extra quality is a valuable asset in realizing a successful life in all respects.
Strong will Power and Confidence: With all these beautiful things developing in an individual, a person starts feeling strong will power and confidence in all the individual undertakings. These two qualities make a lot of difference in being wherever you want to be, and being able to achieve what you want to achieve, physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.
Change from Negative Thoughts to Positive Thoughts: Before we talk about the change let as talk about what thoughts are. Thoughts are:
· Reaction
· Observation
· Memories (Bad and good)
· An invasion of privacy
· Anxiety
· Ego (Playing God)
· Self Talk
· Desire
· Analysis
· Information
Addressing Negative Thoughts:
· Disturbs comfort zone
· Difficult situation
· Wait/ Cool down
· Awareness
· Information: take to Higher-Self/Nature
· Meditation/Purification
· Regular meditation reduces the frequency of negative thoughts
· Send positive thoughts to offset the negative thoughts
· Positive affirmations
Realizing Higher Nature: Everyone, without exception has a higher nature. This higher nature is the Spiritual Self of a person. It is beyond the physical self, which consists of body, senses, mind and intellect. Major attributes of the higher nature being truth, awareness and blissfulness. Without realization of the higher nature, a person is not utilizing his/her full potential. To live life fully and to completely enjoy it, it is imperative that a person remain in touch with his complete self otherwise there is an imbalance in life. Regular meditation helps tremendously in this aspect.
Unity-Consciousness: Through meditation, a person comes in contact with his/her Spirit, the Higher Nature of the being. Through the Spirit, the person comes in contact with the Supreme Spirit or the Supreme Energy, which is all-powerful and is present everywhere at all times. This simply means accessing the Infinity while you are living rather than sheer believing that there is infinity after death. Accessing Infinity means accessing infinite energy, infinite knowledge/ awareness and infinite resources to materialize your intentions and desires or goals of life. At a higher platform, it means being one with the universal energy and experiencing that we are all one and the same and further more we are all interconnected. This experience automatically and effortlessly aligns the person with the Supreme Energy. Such a person is harmonious, peaceful and carefree and completely dedicated to whatever he/she is entrusted to do. In this mode, it is natural that his/her performance will be far more excelling compared to the person who is just working hard, but only with his/her physical-self.
DIFFERENT MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
First of all, it is important to mention that in the initial stages of meditation, it is extremely beneficial to practice meditation in a group practicing meditation. Even though it is conducive to the practice of meditation, the aspirant is fully encouraged to pick up meditation techniques as described in this book and practice on one's own. Later on, when it is possible, a couple of friends can just get together and practice as a mini-group. But don't hold back. Just start it and you will be amazed at the results. Before techniques are described, it is imperative that an aspirant understands the following three major ingredients of an effective meditation:
· Attention: The primary magic of any meditation is your own attention. Meditation requires that you be fully ready to give yourself your full attention for your journey to go from outside of you to the inside of you. Before you start your meditation, confirm with yourself that you are now ready to dedicate yourself to yourself. Supplement this dedication with the full resolve to stay focused within yourself.
· Permit: Tell yourself that you are permitting yourself to go through the experience of meditation. This simply means that you are opening yourself to let your own energy pour into you. Without this permission, the unseen channel through which energy flows can remain blocked and the experience may become limited. This permission is not through the lips. Rather, it is through the heart. Just open your heart to enjoy the experience of meditation. The more you open yourself, the more you will experience the benefits of meditation, and vice versa.
· Direct: Understand that any meditation technique is primarily based on changing the direction of your attention from external involvement to an inner experience. Whenever during meditation your inner focus is disturbed by different kinds of thoughts or other interventions, treat them like uninvited guests. However, be courteous and tell them that you will attend to them when you are finished with your meditation. Similar to permitting yourself meditation experience, you will be fully determined to keep firm on the change of direction of your attention to your inside, otherwise you will spend lots of your energy just to clear the external interventions or disturbances.
These three items are part of your preparation for the meditation. Next part is that you pick a spot, which is free from any disturbance. If you want to sit on the floor then have a clean blanket folded and spread on the floor. Cover it with a clean cloth and if you like you can have pillow support for your back. You can have extra support from the wall against which you can lay your pillows. Now you are ready to start your meditation if you want to use the floor. Sit on the blanket comfortably, crossed legs if you can, but keep your back and neck straight. If however, you prefer to use a chair, then a straight chair is preferable. Just sit comfortably on the chair with your back straight and neck straight. Just be comfortable and completely relaxed. Now you are ready to learn the meditation techniques, which are as follows:
Seven Minutes Technique for Relaxation:
This technique is a basic requirement for any meditation. It will help you in calming yourself before you can go further in meditation. Just follow these steps given below and you will become calm and relaxed:
· Take few deep breathes and just observe them; without any comments whatsoever. Observing your deep breaths means just paying your attention to your in-going and outgoing breaths. Just follow or travel attentively with your breathing. Incidentally, it may be mentioned that right type of in-going breathing will raise your belly outwards like a balloon when air is pumped in it. Conversely, outgoing breathing will do the opposite; it will gently bring the belly inwards. You can check if you are breathing properly by placing your hand on your belly
· Resume your normal breathing and observe it as you did with your deep breathing. Keep this practice of observation going for approximately three minutes
· Further extend this practice of observation from toes upwards. From toes, keep going upwards to feet, lower legs, knees, upper legs, center of base of the spine, around a spot about six inches below the navel, center of the abdomen, center of heart, center of the throat, center of forehead and center of the crown. This step completes one cycle of observation from toes to top of your skull. Complete one cycle in about one minute, repeating it three times in three minutes.
· Come back to the center of your forehead and "Just be" for about one minute. Just enjoy the silence/ peace from within you.
This technique can be used any time when you want to relax yourself from fatigue and tension. If you are too tired, you can even lie flat on a bed or blanket (on the floor) and go through the above-mentioned steps. Remember; the most important element in this technique has been your own observation, e.g., messaging yourself tenderly, lovingly and slowly with your own energy of your own attention. Keep this key handy; "Wherever your Attention is that's where your Energy is."
Extra Seven Minutes Technique for Experiencing More Silence/Peace:
This technique is a continuation of the above-mentioned technique No.1. If you have time and if you have decided to experience more peace from within you then you should proceed with the following steps of meditation:
· Take your attention to your toes and chant; in whisper or semi-loud tone; a unique pure vibration of "A-----U------M----------------------'''' Or it can be simply chanted as an elongated humming tone of "O-----------M------------'''' to the top of the skull, e.g., let your attention travel with this vibration from toes to the center of your heart. Stay there for few seconds. Now push this vibration silently (no loud chant at this juncture) with the power of your silent attention to your crown. Rest on your crown in silence for a few seconds. This is one cycle of "OM" vibration. This vibration has three major qualities; it purifies the toxins in the body, it gives peace and it connects to the Higher self, e.g., the Spirit in you.
· Repeat this cycle of vibration of "OM" three times in silence. Allow yourself approximately 4 to 5 minutes for all the "OM" vibrations. Experience silence, being at the top of the skull.
· To experience more silence and peace, fix your attention at the middle of the forehead and "Just be," as you are for a couple of minutes or more. Keep this focus as long as you can
By continuing these two techniques you will be able to enter your inner zone of silence. This will trigger in currents of peace and joy. It was already there in you, but it was lying dormant. By using these techniques you have awakened them and now you are enjoying this peace in you. Now you are ready to enter the next state of being in touch with your Higher Nature, e.g., Spirit in you.
ELEVEN MINUTES CHAKRAS/CENTERS MEDITATION
This technique is primarily to get in touch with the seven centers of energy in each person. These centers are called "Chakras" in Sanskrit. To visit these centers, we require a combination of attention, "OM" vibrations and relevant affirmation for each center. This meditation is simple but wholesome. Along with other meditation techniques, it is highly recommended. It is important to understand at this juncture that there is a vertical chord of energy or light running from the center of the base of the spine, going all the way up to the center of the skull. This chord is unseen, yet extremely powerful. This is called the central channel of energy. Our aim is to travel all along this channel, visiting each center and experiencing special energy relevant to each station you visit. The technique is as follows:
· Feel the base of the spine and its center on the chord of energy described above. Now gently breathe into it as if you are awakening a sleeping child. As soon as it touches the center of the base of the spine, direct your full attention into this center. Now whisper or silently chant "OM" around this center, at least three times. Keep this center circled around with the unified force of vibration and attention. Feel focused and now affirm to yourself silently, "I am Energy," at least three times. Feel unique flow energy within yourself and especially around this center. Keep this practice going for approximately two minutes. This is called, "Center #1" meditation.
· Move your attention vertically upward on the central channel of energy to the center approximately six inches below the navel. Feel the center mentally, breathe into it. Now direct your full attention into this center. Silently chant "OM" around this center, at least three times. Keep this center circled around with unified force of vibration and attention. Silently affirm, "I am joyful," at least three times and feel the joy within. Keep this going at least for one and a half minutes. This is called, "Center #2" meditation.
· Now move up to center #3, which is around the navel on the central channel of energy. Repeat the same procedure of directing your attention into the center and silently chanting of "OM" at least three times. Now silently affirm, " I am the Self-effort" at least three times. Feel the inspired effort to achieve or manifest your aspirations/goals. Release the primary goal(s) of the day into this center. Be cautious not to clutter this center with more than three goals. Although it is a good practice to stay with only one major goal. Take about one and a half minutes to complete this practice.
· Move up to center #4; the center of the heart. Direct your attention into the center and silently chant "OM" at least three times. Silently affirm, "I love and adore the Spirit in me," at least three times. Feel the power of the Spirit within you and extend this vibration to someone real close to you. Feel the flow of the loving energy going to your arteries and other parts of your body. Let this practice last for one and half minutes.
· Move up to center #5, the center of your throat. Direct your attention into this center and silently chant "OM" at least three times. Silently affirm, "I am creative in my expressions," at least three times. Feel the intuitive creativity within you, which you envision, utilizing whatever work or interaction you are engaged in. Carry on this practice for one and half minutes approximately.
· Move up to center #6, the center of your forehead. It is your spiritual center. Direct your attention into it and silently chant "OM" at least three times. Silently affirm, "I am an open/unlimited person" at least three times. Feel that you are free from any past conditioning and also let the vision of being unlimited be goaded within yourself. "Just Be" there and let the total time for this center be as usual, e.g., one and half minutes.
· Move up to center #7, the center of your crown. Your antenna /connection with the universal energy. Direct your attention into it and silently chant "OM" at least three times. Silently affirm, "The Spirit in me is the same as the Supreme Spirit/Energy," at least three times. Remain focused to feel the connection with Infinity. Infinite resources, infinite energy and infinite information. Let you attention or consciousness freely expand into the universal space and just observe how you feel. Be there approximately two minutes.
· Bring your attention to toes and chant, "OM" silently from toes to the crown, stay there for a few seconds. Now open your eyes gently and come out of meditation.
These three meditations will take you approximately 25 minutes. It is recommended that you complete all these meditations in the early hours of the morning if it is feasible in your work schedules. Otherwise find a time that suits you the best, but complete the program. If, however, you don't have that much time then you can start with the meditation in the above order and complete the meditation with the last step given in the "Chakras Meditation."
Unity Consciousness Meditation
- We need to clear the mind from it's thoughts and concepts.
- Body Scan ( toes to top).
- Breath onservation ( incoming and outgoing).
- Calm down the mind through 'calming' affirmations ( tell mind to become calm).
- Relax deeply ( feels drowsy but fully alert) and then just let go.
- May enter dream state ( subtle level) with or without full alertness and then ...
- May enter Deep Sleep state( causal level) with or without full alertness and then...
- May enter witness state(The subject)
- Experience the Sahaj (natural state) such as follows :
- There is Presence (just IS).
- There is Not two. ( to tell the mind that there is oneness).
- There is fomlessness of the forms (Transphysicality).
- There is Fullness of the emptiness.
- There is emptiness of fullness.
- There is dance of the changelessness.
- There is Changelessness of the dance.
- There is play ( No agenda , no goal, no sense of space and time. Spontaneous blisfullness).
- May enter Sahaj state ( Nondual/unity level).
These meditations are absolutely essential to take you further from the intellectual understanding to the intuitive areas within you. Without these meditations, you will not be able to feel or experience the effortless flow of the Infinity. Also it would be important at this point to emphasize that these meditations will prepare you for further in depth experiences. To reach to our inner aspiration of becoming the Free-Aware-Joyful person, this is the fundamental preparation. To go further into advanced meditations and self-empowerment, my interactive books "This Splendid World of Yours" and "Be Still and Know…" provide step by step directions for understanding and practice. For more information contact:Ram Varma Meditation Teacher, Author and Seminar Leader
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