2/4/2019 Ajapa Japa | Intuitive Flow

03 JUN AJAPA JAPA

Posted at 06:47h in Newsletters, Uncategorized by Cristina Rapcea 
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Yoga o ers many techniques to direct our focus to the vibration of peace that resides
within each of us.  An excellent practice for this is Ajapa Japa, a sadhana that dates
from the Upanishads but was brought to the modern world by Swami Satyananda
Saraswati.  This powerful practice combines elements of pranayama, mantra chanting
and meditation.

Japa means ‘repeating a mantra, ‘ and ajapa-japa means ‘constant repetition of the
mantra.’   By uniting the breath and sound vibration of a mantra, this practice
promotes the union of body, breath and mind.  Ajapa japa is a complete practice in
itself because it utilizes our di erent sensory abilities by working with awareness and
breath (clairsentience), visualization (clairvoyance) and mantra (clairaudience).

The most famous mantra used while practicing ajapa japa is Soham (so ham)
meaning, ‘I am That’ in Sanskrit. Once the mantra reverses it become (hamso)
meaning ‘That I am.’ The mantra vibrates and puri es the mind.

There are di erent ways of practicing Ajapa japa.  In this practice we move our
awareness along a speci c nadi (channel/meridian) in the body, among others in the
nostrils, in the spinal channel and frontal channel.

My favorite one is along the frontal channel, which brings our focus to the spiritual
heart, the seat of the Supreme Self.  This practice calms the mind and helps us when
we’re worried and anxious.   We achieve mastery of our mind by focusing our
awareness on the breath and the mantra. By achieving a one-focus mind, we calm our
nervous system and develop mental strength and clarity. This practice grounds us
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and connects us to our center and assists us to cultivate a connection with the divine
self.

By bringing the consciousness into the heart, this breathing method supports prana
vayu (energy pervades the chest region), improves blood circulation and oxygenation
of the body, and helps to improve the ow of prana in the body and mind.

The heart in Sanskrit is ‘hri’ which translates as the mind.  Ancient yogis believed the
pure mind is in the heart. We need to bring our awareness to the heart center to stay
away from the uctuation of the mind.  The focus on the heart facilitates ‘Pratyahara’
or withdrawing of our senses for meditation.

Connecting with the heart space raises our vibration. We connect with our inner light;
with our luminous self.  This practice also stimulates the trigger points (kshetram ) of
chakras located along the frontal nadi:  Manipura (navel/power, courage), Anahata
(heart/love, compassion) and vishudhi (throat/speaking out truth, clairaudience) and
consequently is a very powerful healing practice.

In the word of Swami Satyananada: “Ajapa japa meditation helps one to withdraw the
senses and awaken self-awareness.  It removes the impurities of the mind. A burning
lamp cannot give full illumination if its glass is covered in smoke. Only when the glass
is cleaned will the lamp shine fully. Similarly, the light or the power of the Atman is
within us, but it does not manifest itself in our daily life because of the hindrances of
the thought process, the vagaries, dissipations and distractions of the mind.”

In the upcoming days I will place a video on my youtube channel and I’ll be teaching
and leading you in this practice.

Ajapa Japa

During the practice, you must maintain constant awareness of every ingoing and
outgoing breath. Not a single breath should go unnoticed.

1. Sit in a comfortable position of your choice and relax your body completely. Practice
kaya sthairyam (stillness of the body).
2. Establish yourself as the living awareness that is witnessing the experience.
3. Become aware of the breathing process. Observe every incoming and outgoing
breath as your breathing becomes slow and rhythmic. Follow the breath in and out of
your nostrils.
4. Leave the awareness of the breath through the nostrils and visualize a transparent
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4. Leave the awareness of the breath through the nostrils and visualize a transparent
breathing tube spanning the body between the navel and the throat. Try to imagine it.
5. Bring your awareness to your navel and start practicing ujjayi breathing (if you know
how)
6. Begin to move your awareness very slowly up and down inside the psychic breathing
tube (frontal passage).
7. Now add the awareness of the breath. Let the awareness and the breath ascend and
descend inside the psychic passage (or tube).
8. As you breathe in, your knowledge ows slowly and evenly up from the navel to the
throat. As you breathe out, the awareness ows down smoothly and evenly from the
throat to the navel.
9. Then add a third force, prana in the form of golden liquid. Visualize prana as a golden
liquid owing up and down together with the breath and the awareness.
10. You have the breath, the awareness, and pranic energy in the form of golden liquid
ascending and descending inside this psychic passage. Observe this slender, owing
river of golden liquid owing with the breath and the consciousness inside the
passage.
11. To make the practice more constant, use the mantra SOHAM. (I am that). As you
inhale, it is SO and as you exhale it is HAM.  Now you have the breath, the awareness,
the pranic energy and the mantra SOHAM ascending and descending inside the
frontal passage.
12. Practice this for a while.
13. Now get ready to end the practice.
14. Leave the awareness of the psychic passage, of the prana and the breath.
15. Become aware of your physical body, of your meditation posture and the external
environment.
16. When your consciousness is fully externalized, slowly open your eyes.
 

Here is a video in which Linda Madani will guide you step by step through this
meditation

Ajapa Japa: A guided meditation to calm your mind and body

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