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Meditation |
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Meditation
is an intensely personal and spiritual experience. The desired purpose
of each meditation technique is to channel our awareness into a more positive
direction by totally transforming one's state of mind. To meditate is
to turn inwards, to concentrate on the inner self...The Self exists within
all of us in purity, peace, bliss, and knowledge, and is free from mundane
and temporary forms of happiness, sadness, or any mundane conditions.
To attain that inner state we must turn inward, and one of the prominent
ways of doing that is through meditation. Meditation is the art of focusing
your mind, restraining your thoughts and looking deep into yourself. Practicing
it can give you a better understanding of your purpose in life and of
the divine, as well as provide you with certain physical and mental health
benefits. It may be simple enough to empty your mind of thoughts but to
prevent them from coming in is a lot harder than you'd expect. |
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The
entire process of meditation usually entails the three stages of concentration
(dharana - immovable concentration of the mind), meditation (dhyana - worship)
and enlightenment or absorption (samadhi - becoming so absorbed in something
that our mind becomes completely one with it). The individual preparing
to meditate usually starts off by harnessing his awareness, such as focussing
his mind onto a certain object. Once attention gets engaged, concentration
turns into meditation or dhyana. And through continuous meditation, the
meditator merges with the object of concentration, which might either be
the present moment or the Divine Entity. |
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Humanity
is increasingly turning towards various meditative techniques in order to
cope with the increasing stress of modern-day lifestyles. Unable to locate
stability in the outside world, people have directed their gaze inwards
in a bid to attain peace of mind. Modern psychotherapists have begun to
discover various therapeutic benefits of meditation practices. The state
of relaxation and the altered state of consciousness-both induced by meditation-are
especially effective in psychotherapy. But more than anything else, meditation
is being used as a personal growth device these days-for inculcating a more
positive attitude towards life at large. |
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Meditation
is not necessarily a religious practice, but because of its spiritual element
it forms an integral part of most religions. And even though the basic objective
of most meditation styles remain the same and are performed in a state of
inner and outer stillness, they all vary according to the specific religious
framework within which they are placed. Preparation, posture, length of
period of meditation, particular verbal or visual elements-all contribute
to the various forms of meditation. Some of the more popular methods are,
Transcendental Meditation, yoga nidra, vipassana and mindfulness meditation. |
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Meditation
has not only been used as an important therapy for psychological and nervous
disorders, from simple insomnia to severe emotional disturbances, but
lately physicians have also prescribed it for curing various physical
ailments as well. It is useful in chronic and debilitating diseases like
allergies or arthritis, in which stress or hypersensitivity of the nervous
system are involved. Regular meditation practices have also been known
to help in dealing with pain and a number of painful diseases, whether
chronic or acute. The act of meditation comes in useful because it helps
the mind to detach itself from all material and physical attachments-and
that is the ultimate cure for all diseases or at least the way to transcend
them when we cannot avoid them. |
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| Ashtanga Yoga | |
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Yoga
is more than just a physical discipline. It is a way of life-a rich philosophical
path. Ashtanga Yoga literally means "eight-limbed yoga," as outlined
by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. According to Patanjali, the path
of internal purification for revealing the Universal Self consists of eight
spiritual practices based on principles of morality - yama and niyama,
physical discipline - asana and pranayama, mental alertness
- pratyahara and dharana and spiritual awakening - dhyana
and samadhi. The first four limbs-yama, niyama, asana, pranayama-are
considered external cleansing practices. Any defects in the external practices
are correctable, but, defects in internal cleansing practices-pratyahara,
dharana, dhyana-are not correctable and can be dangerous to the mind unless
the correct Ashtanga Yoga method is followed. |
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The
Yamas and Niyamas are guides that must be deeply contemplated.
Yamas and Niyamas are ten good common-sense guidelines for leading a healthier,
happier life - bringing spiritual awareness into a social context. Focus
on the ones that resonate with you today. Consider their application in
your life. Use your rational mind to question them, ponder them, and examine
them from all angles. |
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| Yamas | |
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| Yamas are guidelines for how we interact with the outer world. Social disciplines to guide us in our relationships with others. | |
| The five yamas are: | |
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| Niyamas | |
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| Niyamas are how we interact with ourselves, our internal world. The practice of Niyama harnesses the energy generated from our practice and cultivation of the yamas. Niyama is about self-regulation - helping us maintain a positive environment in which to grow. | |
| The five niyamas are: | |
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| Asana | |
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In
this context the word "asana" means a posture, a steady position
of the body. There are special methods of working with one's body in order
to prepare it for further stages of the spiritual work. Systems of asanas
and other exercises of this stage of work are collectively called "hatha
yoga". They also help one acquire initial concentration skills and
provide an entry-level development of energetic structures of the organism.
Yoga regards the body as a vehicle for the soul on its journey towards perfection,
Yogic physical exercises are designed to develop not only the body. They
also broaden the mental faculties and the spiritual capacities. The Asanas
also affect the internal organs and the endocrine system - glands and hormones. |
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| Pranayama | |
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Pranayama,
is the science of breath control. It consists of series of exercises especially
intended to meet the body's needs and keep it in vibrant health. In our
respiration process, we breathe in or inhale oxygen into our body, going
through our body systems in a form of energy to charge our different body
parts. Then we exhale carbon dioxide and take away all toxic wastes from
our body. Through the practice of Pranayama, the balance of oxygen and carbon
dioxide is attained. Absorbing prana through breath control links our body,
mind, and spirit. But life is full of stress. Because of the daily work,
family, or financial pressures, we tend to ignore our breathing. Thus, it
tends to be fast and shallow. The use of only a fraction of your lungs results
to lack of oxygen and may lead to different complications. Heart diseases,
sleep disorders, and fatigue are some of the effects of oxygen starvation.
Therefore, the negative energy of being restless and troublesome leads to
lesser prana inside the body. By practicing deep and systematic breathing
through Pranayama, we reenergize our body. |
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| Pratyahara | |
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The
word "pratyahara" means "removing indriyas from material
objects". Pratyahara is the stage at which an adept learns how to control
the "tentacles" of consciousness that are called "indriyas"
in Sanskrit. This allows him to achieve the ability to see in subtle and
the subtlest layers of multidimensional space, as well as to exit of his
material body into them and to settle in them, accustoming himself to their
subtlety, tenderness and purity. Concept of indriyas exists only in the
Indian spiritual culture. Europeans with their simplified, complicated and
degraded religious ideas usually are not capable of grasping this kind of
knowledge. Even in translations from Indian languages they substitute the
word "indriyas" with the word "senses" that has lost
its original meaning; by doing this they completely reject the immense methodological
significance of pratyahara concept and of principles of work at this stage. |
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| Dharana | |
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Dharana,
the sixth limb of the Yoga philosopher Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, literally
means 'immovable concentration of the mind'. The essential idea is to hold
the concentration or focus of attention in one direction. This is not the
forced concentration of, for example, solving a difficult mathematics problem;
rather dharana is a form of closer to the state of mind, which could be
called receptive concentration. |
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In
practicing dharana, conditions are created for the mind to focus its attention
in one direction instead of radiating out in a million different directions.
Deep contemplation and reflection usually creates the right conditions,
and the focus on a single chosen point becomes more intense. Concentrative
meditative techniques encourage one particular activity of the mind, and
the more intense it becomes the more the other preoccupation of the mind
cease to exist. |
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The
objective in dharana is to steady the mind by focusing its attention upon
some stable entity. Before retracting his senses, on may practice focusing
attention on a single inanimate object. After the mind becomes prepared
for meditation, it is better able to focus efficiently on one subject or
point of experience. Now if the yogi chooses to focus on the center (chakra)
of inner energy flow, he/she can directly experience the physical and mental
blocks and imbalances that remain in his or her system. This ability to
concentrate depends on excellent psychological health and integration and
is not an escape from reality, but rather a movement towards the perception
of the true nature of the Self. |
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| Dhyana | |
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Dhyana,
the seventh limb of Ashtanga Yoga, means worship, or profound and abstract
religious meditation. It is perfect contemplation; it involves concentration
upon a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it.
During dhyana, combining clear insights into distinctions between objects
and the subtle layers surrounding intuition further unifies the consciousness.
We learn to differentiate between the mind of the perceiver, the means of
perception, and the objects perceived-between words, their meanings and
ideas, and even between all the levels of natural evolution. We realize
that these are all fused in an undifferentiated continuum. One must apprehend
both subject and object clearly in order to perceive their similarities.
Thus dhyana is apprehension of real identity among apparent differences.
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During
dharana, the mind becomes unidirectional, while during dhyana, it becomes
ostensibly identified and engaged with the object of focus or attention.
That is why, dharana must precede dhyana, since the mind needs focusing
on a particular object before a connection can be made. If dharana is the
contact, then dhyana is the connection. Obviously, to focus the attention
to one point will not result in insight or realization. One must identify
and become "one with" the object of contemplation, in order to
know for certain the truth about it. In dharana the consciousness of the
practitioner is fixed on one subject, but in dhyana it is in one flow. |
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| Samadhi | |
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The
final step in Ashtanga Yoga is the attainment of samadhi. When we succeed
in becoming so absorbed in something that our mind becomes completely one
with it, we are in a state of samadhi. Samadhi means "to bring together,
to merge". In samadhi our personal identities completely disappear.
At the moment of samadhi none of that exists anymore. We become one with
the Divine Entity. |
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During
samadhi, we realize what it is to be an identity without differences, and
how a liberated soul enjoys a pure awareness of this pure identity. The
conscious mind drops back into that unconscious oblivion from which it first
emerged. The final stage terminates at the instant the soul is freed. The
absolute and eternal freedom of an isolated soul is beyond all stages and
beyond all time and place. Once freed, it does not return to bondage. |
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The
perfection of samadhi embraces and glorifies all aspects of the self by
subjecting them to the light of understanding. The person capable of samadhi
retains his/her individuality and person, but is free of the emotional attachment
to it. |
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Download
in
 format |
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| Hatha
Yoga Pradipika of Swami Swatmarama Translated by Brian Dana Akers |
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| Gheranda
Samhita, a manual of Yoga taught by Gheranda to Chanda. Translated by James Mallinson |
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