MEDITATION

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A SHORT HISTORY
The history of meditation goes back many thousands of years into antiquity itself. As part of the system of Yoga the principles were divinely received by the Rishis, (illumined sages of India) as a means of self salvation, allowing man a path back to union again with his divine creator, God. According to Patanjali Yoga Sutra, MEDITATION is the seventh step towards spiritualism, and the eighth step being the samadhiUnion with the creator

SO WHAT IS MEDITATION ?
Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.

SO, IF YOU ARE WONDERING, WHY DO WE ..?

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BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
1.Meditation benefits people with or without acute medical illness or stress .2. People who meditate regularly have been shown to feel less anxiety and depression. 3. They also report that they experience more enjoyment and appreciation of life and that their relationships with others are improved.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
4. Meditation produces a state of deep relaxation and a sense of balance or equanimity. According to Her Holiness MAA SHREE "Meditation cultivates an emotional stability that allows the meditator to experience intense emotions fully while simultaneously maintaining perspective on them." Out of this experience of emotional stability, one may gain greater insight and understanding about one's thoughts, feelings, and actions. This insight in turn offers the possibility to feel more confident and in control of life. 5. Meditation facilitates a greater sense of calmness, empathy, and acceptance of self and others.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
Increases situational awareness Reduces stress Makes you more positive in attitude Teaches to be more objective One is more energetic, mental faculties are sharper, Problems dont seem problems anymore. Attitude changes.

 DETAIL BENEFITS WILL BE DISCUSSED LATER AFTER EXPLAINING THE PROCESS OF MEDITATION. THE RELEVANCE OF THE BENEFITS WILL THEN BE EASY TO GRASP.

RELEVANCE OF MEDITATION

BENEFITS

RELEVANCE

TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION

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108 Meditation Techniques

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MANTRA MEDITATION
Mantra, literally meaning 'revealed sound', means a sound or combination of sounds which develop spontaneously. In mantra meditation, specific sounds are repeated (japa) to achieve a meditative state . Transcendental Meditation (TM) introduced by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi is also a form of Mantra Meditation where the participants are provided their personal Mantra. AUM, as a word, is a beautiful and wonderful mantra as it has a resonance which immediately transports oneself into a meditative state.

STEADY GAZE ( TRATAKA ) MEDITATION

Trataka ( to gaze steadily) has been followed by most religious systems including Christianity and Sufism. In Trataka, a steady gaze is performed on an object. While, it strictly comes under the category of a yoga cleansing technique, effective trataka practice takes one to the shores of meditation.. .

Method: In this a regular candle is used, however any other object of choice can be used. The candle is set up at an arm's distance, level with eyes, and steady gazing is first done with the eyes open. After some time, the eyes are closed, and the after image of the flame is 'gazed at' with eyes closed at the eye brow center. Try not to move through out the practice. Relax your breath , let it lengthen, deepen

VIPASANA MEDITATION
It is usually done in a course of 10 days, when the participants refrain from reading, writing, and even talking (except discussing difficulties faced during meditation with the teacher). Set aside 15 minutes. Find a quiet place. Sit down cross-legged on the floor or a chair with a straight back. Become aware of your breath. Take a mental note of whatever feeling you are experiencing. Open your eyes slowly after 10 or 15 minutes and get up gradually. Do not worry if you do not get any great insights in your first session. Try to be aware of your senses and emotions and their impact on you.

ZEN MEDITATION

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Sit on the forward third of a chair or a cushion on the floor. Arrange your legs in a position you can maintain comfortably. In the half-lotus position, place your right leg on your left thigh. In the full lotus position, put your feet on opposite thighs. You may also sit simply with your legs tucked in close to your body, but be sure that your weight is distributed on three points: both of your knees on the ground and your buttocks on the round cushion. On a chair, keep your knees apart about the width of your shoulders, feet firmly planted on the floor.

Take a deep breath, exhale fully, and take another deep breath, exhaling fully. With proper physical posture, your breathing will flow naturally into your lower abdomen. Breathe naturally, without judgement or trying to breathe a certain way. Keep your attention on your breath whilst practicing this zen meditation. When your attention wanders, bring it back to the breath again and again -- as many times as necessary! Remain as still as possible, following your breath and returning to it whenever thoughts arise.

Be fully, vitally present with yourself. Simply do your very best. At the end of your sitting period, gently swing your body from right to left in increasing arcs. Stretch out your legs, and be sure they have feeling before standing. Practice easy Zen meditation every day for at least ten to fifteen minutes (or longer) and you will discover for yourself the treasure house of the timeless life of zazen -- your very life itself.

THE ACTUAL EASY PROCESS

First, Sit Upright Relax the Body Breathe Evenly
Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Hold the breath for eight more counts, then exhale slowly to the same count. Without pausing, inhale again hold exhale, each to the count of eight. This is called the Measured Breathing Exercise. Repeat it three to six times. You can vary the count according to your lung capacity, but always keep it equal during inhalation, holding, and exhalation. Finish your practice by inhaling deeply, then exhaling completely.

The AUM Technique of Concentration

Now wait for the next breath to come in of its own accord. When it does, mentally say AUM pronounced as OM. This time, dont hold the breath, but exhale naturally. As you do, mentally say AUM again AUM is an ancient Sanskrit mantra (a mantra is a word, syllable, or group of syllables, which can convey spiritual power when pronounced correctly, often with repetition).It is the primordial sound signifying the universe. It means I am He or I am Spirit. Try to feel that your breath itself is silently making the sounds of AUM

Make no attempt to control your breath. Simply observe it as it flows in and out naturally. In the beginning you may be mostly aware of the physical manifestation of the breathing process as your diaphragm and chest expand and contract. As your breath grows calmer, however, try to become aware of its flow in the nostrils, then gradually transfer your awareness higher and higher in the nasal passages. With the eyes closed, turn your gaze upward to the point midway between the eyebrows within your forehead. Concentrate there. This is the seat of spiritual consciousness in the body, also called the spiritual eye, or Christ Center. In time, try to feel the flow of the breath near the spiritual eye within your forehead. Keep your gaze steady at the point between the eyebrows throughout your practice. Dont allow your eyes to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your mind has wandered, gently bring it back to an awareness of the breath and the mantra.

PRAY
Begin your meditation with a prayer. This will help you remember why you are meditating! You will also be inviting the Divine, or your Higher Self, to help you in your practice.

SIT PERFECTLY STILL

Moving your body even slightly sends the energy into the muscles. The purpose of yoga is to withdraw that energy inward and upward, to the brain. Thus, any physical movement during meditation will counteract your meditative effort. To keep yourself from fidgeting, try to think of your body as a rock solid and unmoving. Refuse to move for the first five minutes of meditation, and you will find that your body will grow calm of its own accord. Your physical and mental restlessness will subside the longer you sit still. A glass of muddy water will become clear in time if its undisturbed. The same is true for us!

DO NOT CONTROL YOUR BREATH

After the preliminary breathing exercises, you should cease any effort to control the breath. Let it flow naturally. You may notice that the pauses between the inhalation and exhalation are gradually becoming longer. Enjoy these pauses, for they are a glimpse of the deep state of advanced meditation. As you grow very calm, your breath may become so shallow, and the pauses so prolonged, that it hardly seems necessary to breathe at all. Do not be alarmed. This is good!

HOW LONG TO MEDITATE

It is entirely up to you. Make sure, however, to allow enough time after the aum practice to sit still and enjoy the calm meditative state.

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WHERE TO MEDITATE
If possible, set aside an area that is used exclusively for meditation. In time it will become saturated with spiritual vibrations. A small room, a corner of your bedroom, or even closet can suffice, as long as it is well ventilated. Keep it simple. All you really need is a chair or small cushion to sit on, and perhaps a small altar. Face East if possible, and place a wool or silk blanket on the floor to insulate your body from the subtle magnetic currents of the earth.

PROPER MEDITATION POSTURE

In addition to sitting on a straight-backed chair, there are other ways of sitting that are appropriate for mediation. You can sit on the floor in any of the several poses: cross-legged, half-lotus pose, or full-lotus pose.

Two things, however, are essential: your spine must be straight, and you must be able to relax completely without slouching.

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BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
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PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS
1- It lowers oxygen consumption. 2- It decreases respiratory rate. 3- It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate. 4- Increases exercise tolerance. 5- Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation. 6- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate. 7- Decreases muscle tension 9- Helps in chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis etc.

PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS

CONT

10- Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome symptoms. 11- Helps in post-operative healing. 12- Enhances the immune system. 13- Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress 14- Enhances energy, strength and vigour. 15- Helps with weight loss 16- Reduction of free radicals, less tissue damage 17- Higher skin resistance

PHYSIOLOGICAL.
18- Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk of cardiovascular disease. 19- Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing. 20- Decreases the aging process. 21- Higher levels of DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone) 22- prevented, slowed or controlled pain of chronic diseases 23- Makes you sweat less 24- Cure headaches & migraines 25- Greater Orderliness of Brain Functioning

PHYSIOLOGICAL.
26- Normalizes to your ideal weight 27- harmonizes our endocrine system 28- relaxes our nervous system 29- produce lasting beneficial changes in brain electrical activity 30- Cure infertility (the stresses of infertility can interfere with the release of hormones that regulate ovulation).

PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS
31- Builds self-confidence. 32- Increases serotonin level, influences mood and behaviour. 33- Resolve phobias & fears 34- Helps control own thoughts 35- Helps with focus & concentration 36- Increase creativity 37- Increased brain wave coherence. 38- Improved learning ability and memory. 39- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation. 40- Increased emotional stability. 41- improved relationships

PSYCHOLOGICAL..
42- Improved relations at home & at work 43- Able to see the larger picture in a given situation 44- Helps ignore petty issues 45- Increased ability to solve complex problems 46- Purifies your character 47- Develop will power 48- greater communication between the two brain hemispheres 49- react more quickly and more effectively to a stressful event. 50- increases ones perceptual ability and motor performance 51- higher intelligence growth rate 52- Increased job satisfaction

PSYCHOLOGICAL..
53- increase in the capacity for intimate contact with loved ones 54-decrease in potential mental illness 55- Better, more sociable behaviour 56- Less aggressiveness 57- Helps in quitting smoking, alcohol addiction 58- Reduces need and dependency on drugs, pills & pharmaceuticals 59- Need less sleep to recover from sleep deprivation 60- Require less time to fall asleep, helps cure insomnia

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
61- Helps keep things in perspective 62- Provides peace of mind, happiness 63- Helps you discover your purpose 64- Increased self-actualization. 65- Increased compassion 66- Growing wisdom 67- Deeper understanding of yourself and others 68- Brings body, mind, spirit in harmony 69- Deeper Level of spiritual relaxation 70- Increased acceptance of oneself 71- helps learn forgiveness

SPIRITUAL.
72- Changes attitude toward life 73- Creates a deeper relationship with your God 74- Attain enlightenment 75- greater inner-directedness 76- Helps living in the present moment 77- Creates a widening, deepening capacity for love 78- Discovery of the power and consciousness beyond the ego

WISHING YOU ALL A HEALTHY,PHYSICAL,PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL LIFE

PRESENTATION FROM THE POWER WITHIN YOU BY AMLAN ROY CHOWDHURY