What is meditation?
"Meditation means the mind is turned back upon itself. The Mind stops all the thought-waves and world stops. Your Consciousness expands. Every time you meditate you will keep your growth " - Swami Vivekanand
Meditation is concentrating the mind on one thing. Meditation means you purposefully focus your attention on something.
Meditation basically is a technique to calm your wandering mind. Meditation helps to reduce down intensity of thoughts.
Meditation is focusing your mind on one thing to subside your thoughts in mind. We are in a continuous state of unconscious compulsive thinking. We hardly able to control the never ending stream of thoughts in mind.
Meditation gives you the power to reduce down incessant thinking and power to choose your thoughts to feed your mind.
Arguably, the most trending thing in the world, yoga is believed to have originated in India about 5,000 years ago. As per the yogic lore, Adiyogi, the first yogi, transmitted the science of yoga to the legendary Saptrishis or “seven sages”. He presented and explained 112 ways through which mortal beings can surpass their limitations and unleash their ultimate potential
Agastya, the sage who travelled across to the Indian Subcontinent was the most effective in terms of incorporating the spiritual process in practical life, not just as an ideology but as a way of life itself. It is his teaching and philosophy that has crafted the Indian culture around a core yogic way of life.
However, it was not until the birth of another legend, Maharishi Patanjali, that the diversified and complex Yogic knowledge was assimilated into a certain format known as Yoga Sutra. Believed to be the incarnation of Anantha, the thousand headed serpent king, he was blessed with a deep understanding of the human body, human mind and human consciousness
The four paths of Yoga, namely Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga and Raja Yoga allow us to drive away the clouds of ignorance from our consciousness. These four yoga paths are not independent of one another. Each yoga path is intricately linked to the other. When we are devoted to God, we are bhakti yogis. When we stand for our fellow human beings we are Karma Yogis. When we engross ourselves in Yoga Practices, we are Raja Yogis. When we reflect upon the true purpose of life, we are Gyana Yogis. As is commonly said, “All roads lead to Rome.”, so all paths lead to Salvation.
With increase in urbanization and emergence of start-ups, stressed lifestyles have become the order of the day in most cities. With lesser time to embrace the nature and seek physical and mental calmness, many take to Yoga as a regular regime. This is one of the main reasons why yoga retreats are catching up in India like never before.
Besides, yoga is not about escaping from a stressful routine, but it is the way to unite with one’s highest potential, one’s real self and thus, be empowered to face life with a calm mind and a positive attitude. The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit term ‘yuj’ which means to unite. Yoga, thus, is the path to uniting with our true, creative, higher selves and with the Universal consciousness or God. The aim of yoga has always been to integrate; to restore a state of perfect balance. Yoga is not just an isolated practice but a state of mind or a way of life. A yogi is the one who lives and acts with an awareness of being in communion with the Source.
There are eight columns to denote the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
This Whole Process Is Known As Meditation ---
You have to go beyond your thoughts. And the method is one: it is Watchfulness, it is Witnessing. You simply watch your thoughts, with no judgment, no condemnation, no appreciation -- utterly aloof; you just see the process of thoughts passing on the screen of your mind.
As your Watcher becomes stronger, thoughts become less -- in the same proportion. If the Watcher is ten percent of your energy, then ninety percent of your energy is wasted in thoughts; if your Watcher becomes ninety percent, then only ten percent remains in thoughts. The moment you are one hundred percent a watcher, the mind becomes empty.
This whole process is known as Meditation. As you pass through the thoughts, you will come to the second layer which is inside you -- of feelings, of your heart, which is more subtle. But by now, your WATCHER is capable even of watching your moods, your sentiments, your emotions, your feelings -- howsoever subtle they may be. And the same method works in the same way as it worked with the thoughts: soon there will be no sentiments, no feelings, no moods. You have gone beyond the mind, and the heart. Now there is utter silence; nothing moves. This is your being; this is YOU.
The taste of your being is truth.
The beauty of your being is the beauty of existence.
The silence of your being is the language that existence understands. And just settled in being, you have come home. The wandering is finished. The struggle is finished. At ease, you sit silently within yourself.
A great hidden splendor is revealed to you: you are not separate from reality, you are one with.
* The mind of one meditating on a single object becomes one-pointed. And one-pointedness of mind leads to abidance in the self.
D: Meditation is with mind and how can it kill the mind in order to reveal the Self?
M: Meditation is sticking to one thought. That single thought keeps away other thoughts; distraction of mind is a sign of its weakness. By constant meditation it gains strength, i.e., to say, its weakness of fugitive thought gives place to the enduring background free from thoughts. This expanse devoid of thought is the Self. Mind in purity is the Self.
D: “My mind remains clear for two or three days and turns dull for the next two or three days; and so it alternates. What is it due to?”
M.: It is quite natural; it is the play of brightness (satva), activity (rajas) and darkness (tamas) alternating. Do not regret the tamas; but when satva comes into play, hold on to it fast and make the best of it.
D.: What is dhyana?
M.: The word dhyana usually signifies meditation on some object, whereas nididhyasana is used for enquiry into the Self. The triads persist until the Self is realised. Dhyana and nididhyasana are the same so far as the aspirant is concerned, because they involve trinity and are synonymous with bhakti.
D.: How should dhyana be practised?
M.: Dhyana serves to concentrate the mind. The predominant idea keeps off all others. Dhyana varies according to the individual. It may be on an aspect of God, on a mantra, or on the Self, etc.
Sri Bhagavan: Even if we find somebody who has achieved this supreme state of stillness, you may take it that the necessary effort had already been made in a previous life. So effortless and choiceless awareness is attained only after deliberate meditation.
That meditation can take whatever form most appeals to you. See what helps you to keep out all other thoughts and adopt that for your meditation.
Like the practice of breath-control, meditation on the forms of God, repetition of mantras, and restriction on diet, are temporary aids for stilling the mind. Through practice of meditation on the forms of God and through repetition of mantras, the mind attains one pointedness. For such a focused mind self-inquiry will become easy. By observing diet-restriction, the quality of mind improves.
Mindfulness is a Skill
Like any skill, it improves with practice. Through neuroplasticity, mindfulness changes connections in the brain that profoundly affect how the mind functions.
Mindfulness is a skill that can be developed through regular practice. By focusing your attention on the present moment and letting go of distracting thoughts, you can cultivate a greater sense of awareness and inner peace. According to Mayo Clinic, mindfulness can help you reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and improve your overall well-being.
By practicing mindfulness regularly, you can acquire the skill of evoking a sense of peacefulness and well-being. This skill can help you manage your emotions more effectively and improve your ability to cope with difficult situations. Mindfulness can also help you develop greater self-awareness and improve your relationships with others.
According to an article on Real Simple, mindfulness can change the way you think, feel, and act—because it can literally change your brain. Mindfulness can physically change brain structures long term, including age-related brain degeneration. The brain’s many intricate networks of neural pathways are continually and automatically adjusting through a phenomenon called neuroplasticity, which is the capacity of the brain to reorganize its connections based on experience.
Neuroplasticity is catalyzed by every new experience or challenge, from breaking an ankle to shopping at an unfamiliar grocery store, which compels the brain to rearrange its synaptic connections. And the more you do something, the more established—and less new—these connections become. Repetition is the key to rendering a behavior second nature.
Why we feel peaceful after the meditation?
We have so many thoughts going on in our mind. Due to wandering nature of mind, it keeps bringing incessant stream of thoughts into our mind. This never ending thoughts by mind will make your head heavy and you feel unease with the thinking.
When these thoughts are unpleasant, your mind will create more suffering by continuously keeping circulating the sad thoughts. When you are full on thoughts going on in head then you will feel heavy and these thoughts will make you suffer.
When we meditate, we purposefully divert our attention from ongoing thoughts in mind to the one thing we choose to focus on. Once you focus, all your present painful thoughts will disappear for shorter span of time. This fleeting moments of thoughtless stage of your mind will give the glimpse of peace of mind.
Meditation helps you to reduce your thoughts by bringing your awareness into present moment. By regular practice of meditation you can find more peace of mind in day to day life.
How to do meditation?
Main intention of meditation is to keep your mind focused on one thing at a time. There are plenty of ways by which you can keep your mind focused and bring your mind awareness into the present moment.
It totally depend on person to person. Whatever way you find it suitable you should go ahead with it. Basic aim is to focus your attention and make your mind peaceful and calm.
Methods or techniques of meditation
1) Follow your breath sensation (Inhale/Exhale)
2) Count your breath start from 1 to.... and reset your counter as soon as thoughts comes into your mind
3) Chant name of GOD and focus on the chants
4) Put your palm on the abdomen and feel the expansion and contraction of belly
5) Mindful meditation
Focus your attention on each and every activity you perform, feel the sensation and concentrate on subtle details
e.g. Walking meditation where you focus and feel the sensation going on in your legs
6) Body parts relaxing meditation
Pay attention on each body part and feel the sensation and say peace and calm following through the parts of body
7) Guided meditation - you can find so much stuff on internet, where you have to follow the instructions to perform meditation
8) Chanting OM Mantra
9) Listening to the music mindfully or fully alert state
10) Observing the nature and listening to the chirping of birds and sound of water flowing
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