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How to meditate

Relaxation and Concentration is the key

Nayaswami Jyotish, Relaxation And Concentration, Keys To Meditation, September 22, 2018: The Times of India

Someone in deep meditation seems similar to one who is asleep: body completely relaxed, senses shut down. Other parts, however, are aglow: Energy has been completely withdrawn into the spine and forepart of the brain. A master of yoga could consciously bring all his energy into a laser-like focus which energises the spiritual eye, uplifts his consciousness, and eventually raises him to the state of Self-realisation.

The first step is relaxation, that is a result of withdrawing tension and energy from any area, a process normally only partly under our command. But for deep meditation we must learn deep relaxation, which requires conscious control of the life-force.

The biggest challenge in meditation is overcoming mental restlessness. When you try to meditate, you will find that your mind wanders, not because you are meditating, but simply because you are now quiet enough to finally see how the mind constantly skips from thought to thought in a free-association wonderland.

Concentration focusses the power of the mind. To succeed in anything, whether in business, sports or academics, we must be able to concentrate deeply on the task at hand. And yet, we are rarely taught how to concentrate.

The link between energy, breath, and mind is such that if you excite one, the other two become excited and, conversely, if you calm one, the other two grow calm also. If your mind becomes excited, from a sudden fright perhaps, see how your breath also speed ups, and how your muscles fill with energy in preparation for action.

Breath is the most outward and, therefore, the easiest of these three linked elements to control. Control your breath and see how quickly it influences your thoughts, and not only in meditation. The next time you’re in a tense situation, observe the effect of taking several slow, deep breaths.

The science of yoga has long recognised that breathing exercises can exert a powerful influence on the mind. In fact, there are many different breathing techniques – pranayama: “control of subtle energy.” They slow respiration, focus the mind and calm the emotions. Most importantly, they allow us to influence the flow of life-force in the body and mind. The reason yoga techniques are so powerful is that they give us a means to control this subtle energy, called prana in Sanskrit. Prana is finer than the electromagnetic forces of this physical universe. It is the primordial sea of energy from which the very atoms emerge.

Prana is too subtle for most people to perceive. But because prana is directly connected to breath, we influence it indirectly by working with our inhalation and exhalation, which is relatively easy to do. One technique for doing so, known as Hong-Sau, has been widely practised in India for thousands of years, and was taught by Paramhansa Yogananda as well. With the help of such a technique, we can focus 100% of our life-force at the point between the eyebrows (the spiritual eye), the seat of concentration in the body. Only then can we experience the deepest states in meditation and feel our unity with God.

Paramhansa on Meditation

The Times of India

Jan 05 2015

Anup Taneja

The speaking tree the speaking tree - Paramhansa Yogananda On Meditation

Paramhansa Yogananda in his work titled Man's Eternal Quest, says that esoteric meditation ­ onepointed concentration on the inner Self to the exclusion of all other thoughts ­ is the highest form of human activity and is the best method to get connected with the Supreme Spirit. On the one side the higher power is pulling us towards the domain of eternal Consciousness and, on the other, the power of maya or delusion is pulling us towards the artificial glitter of the physical universe. In order to ensure that the seeker does not get bogged down in maya, Yogananda recommends the practice of meditation on a regular basis supplemented by three techniques that could help the seeker delve deep into the innermost recesses of his being and experience the supra-causal state of consciousness.

Pray and chant before meditation: Before starting your meditation, prefer ably in the early hours of the morning, pray for a few minutes and chant the Divine Name with deep feelings of devotion. Repetition of the Divine Name can be truly effective only if it is accompanied by spiritual fervour and intense yearning for God-realisation. Mere mechanical repetition and lip service to the Supreme will not yield the desired results. Cry to the Almighty as you would cry to your mother and, with all the love you can muster, tear at the veils of silence again and again and express your devotional feelings with the words: “God, i cannot live without you. You are the Power behind my consciousness. I love you. Must you remain hidden? Reveal yourself to me.“ If you constantly invoke Divinity , you are bound to achieve progress in the spiritual achieve progress in the spiritual sphere.

Concentrate on the Christ or Kutastha Centre: Seekers often complain that while in meditation, they find it extremely difficult to subdue the turbulent mind full of distracting thoughts.Yogananda suggests that by focussing attention on the Christ or Kutastha Centre ­ the point between the eyebrows ­ in meditation, you can gradually succeed in harnessing scattered thoughts and giving them a new, inward direction. In yogic terminology , this centre is called the ajna chakra, which is the seat of the mind.

There are two petals, nadis, on each side of the ajna chakra and the spiritual vibrations that emanate from these subtle nadis correspond to Sanskrit letters that mean `Soham' (I Am That). This is also called the Third Eye of Shiva; by cong centrating on this centre, the seeker gets connected to the constantly blazing flame, the jyoti', which bestows on the `divya jyoti', which bestows on the seeker great power of concentration.

Pranayama or breath control: Through the practice of the kriya yoga technique of pranayama the seeker endeavours to control the life-force in the body by making pranic energy revolve upward and downward, around the six spinal centres situated in the sushumna, namely, muladhara, swadhishthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddha and ajna.This technique hastens the process of spiritual evolution, purging the seeker of all sorts of impurities. This, in turn, brings about `interiorisation' of consciousness that enables the seeker to penetrate the darkness behind the closed eyes and gain access to the endless region which is referred to by Yogananda as `Darkless dark and lightless light'. In this boundless stretch of eternity, the Supreme Being alone abides in the form of pure, undifferentiated consciousness.

Thus, in the esoteric activity of meditation, says Yogananda, “you have the solution to the mystery of knowing God“.

Benefits of meditation 

Health, mind, attitude

Nayaswami Devarshi, Meditation Practice Improves Cognition, Mar 31, 2017: The Times of India

People often equate spirituality or holiness with having one's head in the clouds, going through life in a vaguely detached manner. In `Autobiography of a Yogi', Paramhansa Yogananda quoted his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, describing true spirituality: “Saintliness is not dumbness. Divine perceptions are not incapacitating. The active expression of virtue gives rise to the keenest intelligence.“

Recent studies on the effects of meditation demonstrate that just a little bit of meditation practice improves cognition, memory , and concentration ­ even among older people. This is one reason that Yogananda called it the “ancient Indian science of meditation.“

While science and spirituality are often opposed to each other, there is one aspect of science that should be applied to religion: when one's religion or spiritual practice is tested, does it produce demonstrable results? A common misconception about spiritual practice is that a sure sign of progress is having various visions, seeing lights, performing miracles, and other phenomena. This approach is not supported by saints and masters.

Anandamayi Ma had a student who experienced visions of Krishna every time he sat to meditate. While the visions may have been beautiful, and possibly true, Anandamayi Ma's counsel to the young man was surprising.

She asked him if he had improved, as a person, due to his visions. She was particularly referring to qualities such as calmness and freedom from anger. The man, in honesty and humility , replied, “No.“

Anandamayi Ma then advised that instead of indulging in visions, he start practising real meditation, dhyana. The man did just that, and found himself changing for the better as a result. It is relatively easy to be a saint in one's meditation or puja room, but the real test comes in daily life. Most of us don't have brain scientists with scanners and test exams at hand. But we can, and should, test the results of our religious or spiritual practices.

In the Bhagwad Gita, in the 16th chapter, Krishna begins by listing the qualities of those who are divinely inclined. Those qualities make very good self-exam questions.

Don't see these as passfail exams, but as a simple measure of the direction of our spiritual progress. One of Krishna's divine qualities is “freedom from anger“. Are you making real progress, over time, in how you respond to challenging family members or work environment? If not, then it is worth rethinking your spiritual practices so you start achieving better scores on that test.

Another important divine attribute described by Krishna is forgiveness. When someone hurts us, we should of course be wary of the person hurting us again. But holding on to past hurts, with growing resentment and hate, only adds to our own pain. You will find that forgiveness arises naturally and easily from the calm detachment of deep meditation.

And a non-judgmental attitude can best be achieved through developing compassion. The Dalai Lama has stated that, “The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion.“

You will find that the reverse is also true: The tranquility that comes from regular meditation helps one easily develop love and compassion for others.

True spirituality and religion must have a very real and positive change in our lives. As Paramhansa Yogananda declared, “Let us separate the dross of superstition from real religion by burning it in the furnace of Scientific Investigation and Realisation, and by their practical application to life.“

Changing karm(a), achieving happiness

Om Swami, You Can Erase Your Karmic Imprints, November 30, 2018: The Times of India

You can rewrite your destiny. You can erase your karmic imprints. You can step into another world of consciousness. Ever since i can recall, no matter what any seeker asked me, the gist of it was: How do i make (and measure) spiritual progress? How do i be at peace always? What is the purpose of my life?

Whether you inquired about meditation or Samadhi, or you wanted a better relationship or greater success, whatever joy you might have wished to experience, almost always the intent fell in one of the three questions above. After all, if i can be at peace, i’m happy naturally. I want a more fulfilling relationship or career because i want to feel joy and happiness. Those feelings of elation or warmth that come when you feel together, that overflowing compassion you experience in your spiritual moments, they give your life a purpose, a sort of meaning.

It’s not possible to be happy all the time. But, it is possible to be happy almost all the time. And it is certainly possible to make wiser and more spiritual choices in life so you don’t end up in situations that drive you insane.

I have come to the realisation that for anyone to experience the greatness within, they must also embark on a journey that synchronises their inner and outer worlds. Harmony exists only in such alignment. Your spiritual methods must guide you in your decisions and reflect in your conduct, otherwise of what use is any practice? To that effect, here is the sublime path of (what i have termed) the ‘Black Lotus’ where you traverse through various states to reach the pinnacle of spiritual attainment – from a novice to a siddha. (Black is black when it absorbs all colours and lotus is a flower that even though grows in mire, remains above it, unsullied.) My path has three integral elements for continued spiritual progress: Meditation: It is much more than having a calm mind. With meditation, you develop an amazing degree of self-awareness. Such awareness then helps you overcome your tendencies and reactions that are the biggest obstacles on the path of Self-realisation.

Good meditation empowers you to do more meaningful things.

Mantras: Chanting or mantra meditation when done mindfully aligns your consciousness with the universal consciousness. The sonic vibrations produced by mantras invoke your latent energy you’ve been carrying over lifetimes. Greater self-confidence, better intuition and heightened awareness are natural byproducts of mindful chanting.

Kindness: One simple method of filling your reservoir of spiritual energy is by being kind in thought, action and speech. The energy we gain from meditation and correct chanting needs to be invested so it grows exponentially. Random acts of kindness are those investments you make from time to time. When you touch someone’s life, you feed your mind with the unique joy of goodness. All this good karma accumulates and becomes your spiritual wealth. Besides, as your consciousness expands granting you great spiritual prowess, it propels you to nurture and help others.

Live, love, laugh, give: ‘You are the Supreme Being, the final refuge, the purest, the absolute truth. You are the eternal, the divine, the unborn, the greatest’.