a) About Meditation
1. You can start by understanding what meditation is. It is a continuous flow of thought on one object. Meditation is the upholding of focus on one idea alone like the continuous flow of oil. Yogis call this process "Dyana". Bhaktis call it adoration.
Concentration is fixing the mind on a point or object, either internal (in the body) or external (on any outside object or image). Meditation follows concentration. In Dhyana all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. The mind is filled or saturated with Divine thoughts, with the Divine Glory, the Divine Presence.
(b) Find A Place
2. Have a room solely dedicated to meditation and do not allow anybody to enter. This keeps it holy and sanctified. Burn incense in the mornings and evenings and keep an icon of God or your Guru placing your chair in front. Keeping spiritual literature in the room is also good and will raise the resonance level of the room.
By meditating a lot in the room the beneficial vibrations from the meditation will saturate the ether of the room. After 6 months the atmosphere in the room will be filled with peace and purity. Whenever you feel agitated you can sit in the room repeating a mantra for half an hour and you will immediately feel a change within yourself.
By practising this you will feel the calming spiritual influence it has on you. Nothing can compare to a spiritual practice and it will create a holy place in your home.
3. Solitude and intense meditation are two important requirements for Self-realization. A place of pilgrimage, a Himalayan scenery, a lovely flower-garden, a sacred temple, these are the places which elevate the mind for concentration and meditation. Use them when necessary.
4. Find a cool place with a mild climate. This is a must for concentration. As salt melts in water so too will the Sattvic (pure) mind melt in the silence that is brought by meditation with the Absolute.
(c) The Time
5. Get up at 4 in the morning as this is a very favourable time for spiritual contemplation and to practice devotion. In the morning the mind is calm and pure and refreshed from the sleep. It is like a blank piece of paper and free of worldly impressions.
The mind is easily moulded at this hour as the atmosphere is filled with light and purity. If you do not feel to take a bath or shower you can wash your hands, feet and your face with cold water. This suffices.
6. Choose the part of the night or day where your mind is clear and when you will not be disturbed. The mind is more calm and malleable in these times.
7. You can enjoy the results of a good meditation on Sundays because this is a holiday, and the mind feels free. Therefore you should do some vigorous meditations on Sundays. Meditation results will also improve when you live on milk and fruits alone or when you fast. Use common sense and try to obtain the best results in meditation.
(d) Where To Focus
8. Focus gently in the heart area or between the eyes in the forehead. Keep your eyes closed.
9. The mind is placed in Ajna Chakra in Trikuti. The mind is easily tamed by focusing on Trikuti. Devotional types (Bhaktas) should focus in the heart area and yogis should concentrate on Ajna Chakra.
10. Sahasrara at the crown of the head is another great place to focus. Vedantins concentrate here. Some yogis focus on the tip of their noses (a technique called Nasikagra Drishti). Stay with one place of focus and cling to it perseverantly.
Eg, if you concentrate on the heart area, stay with it and never change it. Your guru will find the place for you that you ought to focus upon if you are a devotional type. If not, you can find a place yourself.
(e) Pure Diet
11. Keep a pure light diet. Over filling the stomach with bread, rice and vegetables will make you sleepy and interferes with your spiritual practice. Solely dieting on milk will make the body feel light and pure.
By following these guidelines you will find yourself being able to sit at ease in yoga positions for long periods of time, up til hours. If you feel weak though, you can take some milk and rice. Those with an intense program of keeping lectures and other spiritual activities should have a solid diet though.
(f) Yoga Positions
12. Asana (yogic posture) steadies the body; Bandhas (contractions) and Mudras (attitudes) strengthen the mind; Pranayama (breath control) makes the body feel light; Nadi -suddhi (purification of the energy paths) produces steadiness of the mind. Having acquired these qualifications you now have to fix your mind on the Absolute. Then meditation will be easy and will make you actually make happy.
It is highly recommended to practice the lotus pose (Padmasana) or Siddhasana for the attainment of meditation and concentration. For health it is good for you to be sexually continent. This can be attained through Paschimottanasana, Matsyasana, Brahmacharyasana, Sarvangasana and Shirshasana (amongst many other Asanas). - 14130
1. You can start by understanding what meditation is. It is a continuous flow of thought on one object. Meditation is the upholding of focus on one idea alone like the continuous flow of oil. Yogis call this process "Dyana". Bhaktis call it adoration.
Concentration is fixing the mind on a point or object, either internal (in the body) or external (on any outside object or image). Meditation follows concentration. In Dhyana all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. The mind is filled or saturated with Divine thoughts, with the Divine Glory, the Divine Presence.
(b) Find A Place
2. Have a room solely dedicated to meditation and do not allow anybody to enter. This keeps it holy and sanctified. Burn incense in the mornings and evenings and keep an icon of God or your Guru placing your chair in front. Keeping spiritual literature in the room is also good and will raise the resonance level of the room.
By meditating a lot in the room the beneficial vibrations from the meditation will saturate the ether of the room. After 6 months the atmosphere in the room will be filled with peace and purity. Whenever you feel agitated you can sit in the room repeating a mantra for half an hour and you will immediately feel a change within yourself.
By practising this you will feel the calming spiritual influence it has on you. Nothing can compare to a spiritual practice and it will create a holy place in your home.
3. Solitude and intense meditation are two important requirements for Self-realization. A place of pilgrimage, a Himalayan scenery, a lovely flower-garden, a sacred temple, these are the places which elevate the mind for concentration and meditation. Use them when necessary.
4. Find a cool place with a mild climate. This is a must for concentration. As salt melts in water so too will the Sattvic (pure) mind melt in the silence that is brought by meditation with the Absolute.
(c) The Time
5. Get up at 4 in the morning as this is a very favourable time for spiritual contemplation and to practice devotion. In the morning the mind is calm and pure and refreshed from the sleep. It is like a blank piece of paper and free of worldly impressions.
The mind is easily moulded at this hour as the atmosphere is filled with light and purity. If you do not feel to take a bath or shower you can wash your hands, feet and your face with cold water. This suffices.
6. Choose the part of the night or day where your mind is clear and when you will not be disturbed. The mind is more calm and malleable in these times.
7. You can enjoy the results of a good meditation on Sundays because this is a holiday, and the mind feels free. Therefore you should do some vigorous meditations on Sundays. Meditation results will also improve when you live on milk and fruits alone or when you fast. Use common sense and try to obtain the best results in meditation.
(d) Where To Focus
8. Focus gently in the heart area or between the eyes in the forehead. Keep your eyes closed.
9. The mind is placed in Ajna Chakra in Trikuti. The mind is easily tamed by focusing on Trikuti. Devotional types (Bhaktas) should focus in the heart area and yogis should concentrate on Ajna Chakra.
10. Sahasrara at the crown of the head is another great place to focus. Vedantins concentrate here. Some yogis focus on the tip of their noses (a technique called Nasikagra Drishti). Stay with one place of focus and cling to it perseverantly.
Eg, if you concentrate on the heart area, stay with it and never change it. Your guru will find the place for you that you ought to focus upon if you are a devotional type. If not, you can find a place yourself.
(e) Pure Diet
11. Keep a pure light diet. Over filling the stomach with bread, rice and vegetables will make you sleepy and interferes with your spiritual practice. Solely dieting on milk will make the body feel light and pure.
By following these guidelines you will find yourself being able to sit at ease in yoga positions for long periods of time, up til hours. If you feel weak though, you can take some milk and rice. Those with an intense program of keeping lectures and other spiritual activities should have a solid diet though.
(f) Yoga Positions
12. Asana (yogic posture) steadies the body; Bandhas (contractions) and Mudras (attitudes) strengthen the mind; Pranayama (breath control) makes the body feel light; Nadi -suddhi (purification of the energy paths) produces steadiness of the mind. Having acquired these qualifications you now have to fix your mind on the Absolute. Then meditation will be easy and will make you actually make happy.
It is highly recommended to practice the lotus pose (Padmasana) or Siddhasana for the attainment of meditation and concentration. For health it is good for you to be sexually continent. This can be attained through Paschimottanasana, Matsyasana, Brahmacharyasana, Sarvangasana and Shirshasana (amongst many other Asanas). - 14130
About the Author:
Hans Havasi is a Systems Developer at a major engineering firm in Denmark, a yoga and tantra teacher and a musician in the group Ibis which makes tantric music for Goddesses. Together with his wife Mariah, Hans leads a yoga and tantric retreat and art center in the north of Copenhagen. Please click here to read more about meditation or go here to download free meditation music.
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