Meditation

Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique, such as focusing their mind on the breath, a particular object, thought or activity, to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. It is an act of cleaning the subconscious and there are various techniques used.

Key Terms:

Dhāraṇā: Deep concentration

Dhyana: Meditation

Different Types of Meditation:

Meditation: State where the conscious mind is totally focused (Concentration)

Yoga Nidra: Consciousness has full rest (Relaxation).

Meditation Techniques:

• Breath awareness

• Body Awareness

• Concentration and Chakras

• Mantra chant in mind (eg chakras)

• Imagine the room around you (with the eyes closed)

• Counting (e.g. counting breath)

• Focus on God / something in nature

• Focus on the sounds around you

• Have a spot that you always use for meditation (quiet and relaxing)

• Being aware of parts of the body (e.g. 61 points)

• Blue is a colour of meditation. This colour can be visualised in meditation

• Sound/simple music

• Stillness (e.g. program the mind with ‘I am as steady as a rock’)

Meditation postures:

These allow the practitioner to sit for extended periods of time without moving the body and without discomfort.

Meditation can only happen when the body has been still and comfortable for some time. The spinal column needs to be straight and in higher stages of meditation the practitioner loses control of the muscles.

Types of meditation posture:

• Easy pose (Sukhasana)

• Half Lotus (Ardha Padmasana)

• Lotus (Padmasana)

• Accomplished pose for man (Siddhasana)

• Accomplished pose for women (Siddha yoni asana)

• Auspicious pose (Swastikasana)

• Heros meditation (Dhyana Veerasana)

• Corpse (Savasana) – risk of sleep with this pose

• Thunderbolt (Vajrasana)

• Intoxicating Bliss Pose (Ananda Madirasana)

• Breath balancing (Padadhirasana)

• Gracious (Bhadrasana)

• Yogi Horakhnorth’s pose (Garakhishasana) – advance pose and not comfortable for long periods.

• Perineal Contraction pose (Moola Bandhasana) – not comfortable for long periods of time.

Preparatory poses:

• Ankle rotation (Goolf Chakra)

• Knee Crank (Janu Chakra)

• Half Butterfly (Ardha Tiraliasana)

• Hip Rotation (Shroni Chakra)

• Full Butterfly (Poorna Titali)

• Wind releasing (Vayu Nishkasana)

• Abdominal Stretch pose (Uderakarshan Asana)

• Animal Relaxation Pose (Shaithalyasana)

• If you start to get discomfort or pain in the legs during meditation, unlock and massage and then resume once blood circulation has resumed.

• Do not strain the knees. It might be more comfortable to place a cushion under the buttocks.

• It is advisable to practice asana prior to meditation.

“You must be able to sit in one of the meditation asanas for a full 3 hours at a stretch without the body shaking. Then only will you gain true asana siddhi and be able to practice the higher stages of pranayama and dhyana. Without securing a steady asana you cannot progress well with meditation”

~ Swami Sivananda, Rishikesh