AshtangaYoga Meditation

RAJA YOGA - Part 5

2010-01-06T03:43:00.000-08:00

Siddhis A powerful occultist hypnotises the whole audience collectively through his power of concentration and will, and performs the rope trick. He throws a red rope in the air, gives the suggestion to the onlookers that he will climb in the air through this rope and disappears from the platform, in the twinkling of an eye. But, when a photograph is taken, nothing is recorded. Yogins of olden times like Sri Jnana Dev, Bhartrihari, Patanjali Maharshi used to send and receive messages to and from distant persons through mind-telepathy and thought transference. was the first wireless telegraph and telephone service in the world.Even now there are Yogis who are versed in telepathy. Thought travels with tremendous velocity through space. Thought moves.

Thought is as much a solid matter as a piece of stone is. It can hit a man against whom it is directed. Understand and realise the powers of the mind. Unfold the hidden powers or occult faculties. Close the eyes. Concentrate. Explore the higher regions of the mind. You can see distant objects, hear distant voices, send messages to distant, parts, heal persons who are at a distance, and move about to a distant place in the twinkling of an eye. Believe in the power of the mind.

If you have interest, attention, will-power, faith, you are bound to succeed. The source for the mind is Atman or the Highest Self. This mind is born of Atman through His Maya or Illusory Power. Cosmic mind is universal mind. Cosmic mind is the sum total of all individual minds. Cosmic mind is Hiranyagarbha or Ishvara or Karya Brahman. Man’s mind is just a fragment of the universal mind. A Raja Yogi becomes one with the cosmic mind and knows the workings of all minds. The Yogi gets omniscience through the cosmic mind. The Yogi experiences cosmic consciousness through the cosmic mind.

Tap the universal mind. You will get higher, super-sensuous knowledge. You will experience cosmic consciousness. You will get knowledge of the past, present and future. You will acquire knowledge of the Tanmatras (root elements) and mental plane. You will experience clairvoyance and clairaudience. You can know what is going on in the minds of others. You will get Divine Aisvarya or Vibhutis of God. There are scientific means to tap this universal mind. Purity, concentration, dispassion, right living, right thinking, right conduct, right action, devotion, moderation in eating and sleeping, purity in food, truthfulness, non-injury, austerities, have to be regularly practised for a protracted time.

Look at the marvels of mind! One is struck with awe and wonder when he witnesses a hypnotised person in trance and hears his narratives. The hypnotised person narrates very lucidly the life history and incidents of a person whom he has not seen in his life. A maid servant (Jew) who was attending on a Hebrew priest used to hear the Hebrew verses during her service. She suddenly developed a double-personality when she was sick in the hospital and repeated Hebrew verses. She did not know the Hebrew language. All the Samskaras (of hearing from the priest) were in the subconscious mind, and she repeated the verses.

No Samskaras are lost. They are indelibly recorded in the gramophonic machine of Chitta. A priest used to forget his old personality and assume a new personality, a new name, a new avocation for six months. When he developed a double-personality he could leave his old house, entirely forget all about his old life and would return to his native place after six months and would entirely forget all about the second personality he assumed for six months.

From - Yoga in daily Life

RAJA YOGA - Part 4

2010-01-06T03:24:00.000-08:00

When your business fails, or when you are in heavy grief by the death of your own son, you get emaciation of body even though you eat nourishing, substantial food. You feel tremendous internal weakness. This clearly proves that mind exists and cheerfulness is a good mental food. When a lady is deeply engaged in the management of the affairs of her daughter’s marriage, she forgets to take her food. She is always happy. Her heart is full of joy. The joy and cheerfulness are powerful tonics for her mind.

She gets inner mental strength although she does not take any food. Control Of Mind Life in this physical plane is a mere preparation for the eternal life of everlasting sunshine and joy which is to come when one gets the knowledge of the Self through intense and constant meditation after purifying the mind. This immortal life of supreme joy is described as the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, in the Bible which is within you, in your heart. Realise this Immortal Life. O Sushil! by controlling the mind, enjoy the Supreme bliss of the Self.

The secrets of Yoga Sastra can only be imparted to that student who is Jitendriya and Abhyasa-Sura, who has devotion to Guru, who has Vairagya, discrimination, who is firm in his determination and who has strong conviction in the existence of God. The mind is single, but it appears dual in dreaming state as the perceived, through the power of Maya or Illusion.

The mind itself takes the forms of rose, mountain, elephant, river, ocean, enemy, etc. Just as heat is inseparable from fire, so also fluctuation is inseparable from mind. It makes the mind restless. This fluctuation is caused by the power of Rajas. It is the fluctuation that causes Asanthi (absence of peace of mind). The Bhaktas remove this tossing by Japa, Upasana and worship of Ishta-devata. The power of fluctuation is itself the mind. This fluctuating mind alone is this world. The mind becomes no mind if fluctuation disappears. The mind ceases to exist, if it becomes destitute of this fluctuation. What is called Maya is this fluctuating potency of the mind. Mind does havocs through the power of fluctuation.

Fluctuation is Mara or Satan or Vasana or Ishana or Trishna. It was this fluctuation that tempted Visvamitra. It is this fluctuation that brings about the downfall of a struggling aspirant. Destroy this fluctuation through strong Viveka, constant meditation and ceaseless Brahma Vichara. As soon as fluctuation manifests itself various sorts of imaginations crop up. Imagination co-exists with fluctuation. Imagination is as much dangerous as fluctuation. Fluctuation moves the mind. Imagination fattens the mind. Mind, minus fluctuation and imagination is a mere zero. Fluctuation and imagination are the two wings of the mind bird.

Cut the right wing through Atmic enquiry and the left wing through the practice of thoughtlessness. The great bird—mind—will fall dead on the spot immediately. The one dividing wall between the soul and body is mind. If this wall is broken by ceaseless Atmic enquiry, then the Jiva mixes with the Supreme Soul just as the river mixes with the ocean.

Close your eyes. Meditate. Open your heart to the inflow of the invisible power. You will find in the Bible “Empty thyself, I will fill thee.” Then you will have abundant, super-intuitional knowledge which is beyond the reach of intellect.

Just as water freely flows when the tap is turned, so also Divine Wisdom will flow freely when the obstacles of ignorance that stand in the way of knowledge are removed. You will get flashes, glimpses of the Divine inspiration, revelation and intuition. You will have to put yourself in a state of quietude by silencing all bubbling thoughts and emotions and connect the mind with the source by withdrawing the mind from sensual objects, just as you do in telephone by turning the switch off and connecting the two persons who want to speak. All duality is of mind. The whole of duality is caused by the imagination of the mind.

If all imaginations are withdrawn into the mind itself by constant practice of discrimination, Vairagya (dispassion), Sama, Dama and Samadhana, you will not experience the dual universe. The mind will become no mind. As it has nothing to cognise, it will rest in the source, the Atman. “My mind was elsewhere, I did not see.” “My mind was elsewhere, I did not hear”; for a man sees with his mind and hears with his mind. The attraction for objects and the ties of various sorts make the man bound to this world. Renunciation of all attractions for objects and breaking up the ties constitute real Sannyasa. That Sannyasi or Yogi who is free from attraction and ties enjoys infinite bliss, supreme joy and eternal bliss.

The mind should be absorbed in the word OM (Pranava). That Yogi or Jnani whose mind is absorbed in OM has no fear whatsoever. He has reached the goal of life. The fire of meditation rapidly consumes all evils and sins. Then there follows that knowledge of Truth which confers perfection, everlasting peace and immortality. Stop the Vrittis through constant and steady practice. The mind will become no mind. You will attain Yogarudha state (the Absolute state). The seeds of Avidya in the form of potential tendencies which are embedded in the mind are all burnt to ashes when the mind rests in the Truth during Samadhi.

The fire that burns is the fire of knowledge of Atman (Jnana Agni, Yoga Agni). When the Yogi has attained the last stage of meditation, when he has entered into Asamprajnata Samadhi, he becomes a Jivanmukta in this very life. The fire of Yogic Samadhi burns all Samskaras in toto. There are now no seeds for rebirth.

From - Yoga in daily Life

RAJA YOGA - Part 3

2010-01-06T02:31:00.000-08:00

we can clearly infer the existence of subconscious mind which operates throughout the twenty-four hours. If an idea is planted in the mind, it grows at night through the operation of the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind never takes any rest. It works vigorously throughout the twenty-four hours. Those who know how to manipulate this subconscious mind can turn out tremendous mental work.All geniuses have control over the subconscious mind. You must understand the ways of extracting work from the subconscious mind. Subconscious mind is a wonderful underground mental factory. Mind is the greatest force on this earth. He who has controlled his mind is full of powers. He can bring all minds under his influence.

All diseases can be cured by psychic healing. One is struck with awe and wonder at the marvellous and mysterious powers of the mind of a man. The source or home or support of this mysterious mind is God or Atman. Any action that is done by the physical body is the outcome of a preconceived idea. The mind thinks, plans and schemes at first. Then the action manifests itself. He who invented a watch at first had all ideas in his mind about the construction of the lever, various wheels, dial, minute-hand, second-hand, hour-hand, etc.

These ideas materialised later on into action. A spark of light presents the appearance of a continuous circle of light if it is made to rotate quickly. Even so, though the mind can attend but to one thing at a time, either hearing or smelling, though it can admit of but one kind of sensation at a time, we are led to believe that it does several actions at a time, because it moves from one object to another with tremendous velocity, so rapidly that its successive attention and perception appear as a simultaneous activity. The best philosophers and seers (Rishis and sages) are unanimously agreed that the mind cannot actually attend to more than one thing at a time, but it appears to be doing so only when it is shifting with prodigious rapidity backward and forward from one end to the other.

Change of thought, relaxation of mind by dwelling on thoughts of pleasant objects, cheerfulness, Sattvic food, mental recreation of Sattvic nature are necessary for mental health. The mind assumes the shape of any object it intently thinks of. If it thinks of an orange, it assumes the shape of an orange. If it thinks of Lord Jesus on the Cross it assumes the shape of Lord Jesus on the Cross. You must train the mind properly and give it proper, pure food for assimilation. Have a Divine background of thought or mental image. If all the thoughts are eliminated, then there remains nothing which can be called mind. So thoughts are the mind. Again there is no such thing as world, independent of and apart from thoughts. Two thoughts, however closely related to one another, cannot exist at the same time.

The mind becomes that on which it dwells. This is an immutable psychological law. If you begin to think about the Dosha or defects of a man, for the time being, at least your mind dwells on the bad qualities and becomes charged with these qualities, whether the man possesses these bad qualities or not. This may be your vain imagination only through your wrong thinking, wrong Samskaras or wrong (bad) habits of the mind. He may not possess even a bit of the bad qualities which you have superimposed on him through ill-will or some form of jealousy or petty-mindedness or habitual Dosha-drishti or fault-finding nature.

Therefore, give up the dangerous habit of censuring others and finding fault in others. Praise others. Develop the power or vision of finding only good in others. Do not bark like a wild dog about the bad qualities of others. Glorify others. You will grow spiritually. You will be liked, honoured and respected by others. Sleep (Sushupti) is not merely a state of inactivity or passive repose. It has deep philosophical significance. Vedantins study this state very deeply and carefully. It gives the clue for non-dual philosophers to trace, search and find out the hidden, silent witness. Atman who is ever awake, although all the minds are at rest. Mother of this world, Rajeshvari takes the Jivas back to Her and Her Lord during deep sleep, hugs them to Her bosom, bestows on them refreshing peace, new vigour, vitality and strength and makes them quite fit for the ensuing battle of life on the following day.

But for this sleep, life would have been absolutely impossible in this physical plane when misery, diseases, cares, worries, fears and anxieties of various kinds trouble man every second. If a man does not get sound sleep even for one night, if he loses his sleep one night for three hours by keeping watch over a sick patient or attending the cinema, how miserable, gloomy, depressed he feels the next day! Mind is atomic according to the Indian school of logic. It is all-pervading according to Raja Yoga school of Patanjali Maharshi; is of the middling size (same size as that of the body) according to the Vedantic school. Mind is material. Mind is made up of subtle matter. This discrimination is made on the principle that the soul is the only source of intelligence; it is self-evident; it shines by its own light.

Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of the food. Mind can be compared to water. Water exists in four states, viz., causal state in the form of H2O, subtle state in the form of water, gross state in the form of ice and gaseous state in the form of vaporised steam. Even so the mind is in a gross state during Jagrat state when it enjoys sensual objects, is in a subtle state when it functions in the dream state, is in a causal state when it gets involved into its cause, Mula-Avidya during deep sleep and it evaporates as gas when it melts or dissolves in Brahman during Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Just as the physical body is composed of solid, liquid and gaseous matter, so also the mind is made up of subtle matter of various grades of density with different rates of vibration. A Raja Yogi penetrates through the layers of the mind by intense practice. Just as you nourish the physical body with food, so also you will have to give food for the mind and spiritual food for the soul.

From - Yoga in daily Life

RAJA YOGA - Part 2

2010-01-05T00:34:00.000-08:00

Chitta The subconscious mind is termed “Chitta” in Vedanta. Much of your subconscious consists of submerged experiences memories thrown into the background but recoverable. When you show symptoms of losing your memory, as you grow old, the first symptom is that you find it difficult to remember the names of persons. The reason is not far to seek. All the names are arbitrary.

They are like labels. There are no associations along with the names. The mind generally remembers through associations, as the impressions become deep thereby. You can remember in old age some passages that you have read in schools and colleges. But you find it difficult to remember in the evening a passage you have read in the morning. The reason is that the mind has lost its Dharana Sakti (power of grasping ideas.)The cells have degenerated. Those who over work, mentally, who do not observe the rules of Brahmacharya and who are afflicted with much cares, worries and anxieties, lose their power of memory soon. Even in old age you can remember old events as there are associations with events.

The mental processes are limited to the field or consciousness alone. The field of subconscious mentation is of a much greater extent than that of conscious mentation. Messages when ready, come out like a flash from the subconscious mind or Chitta of the Vedantins. Only ten per cent of mental activities come into the field of consciousness. At least ninety per cent of our mental life is subconsciousness. We sit and try to solve a problem, and fail. We look around, try again and again but fail. Suddenly an idea dawns and leads to the solution of the problem.

The subconscious process was at work. Sometimes you go to sleep at night with the thought “I must get up very early in the morning to catch a train.” This message is taken up by the subconscious mind and it is this subconscious mind that wakes you up unfailingly at the exact hour. Subconscious mind is your constant companion and sincere friend. You repeatedly fail at night to get a solution for a problem in Arithmetic or Geometry. In the morning when you wake up you get clear answer.

This answer comes like a flash from the subconscious mind. Even in sleep it works without any rest incessantly. It arranges, classifies, sorts all facts and works out a proper satisfactory solution. This is all due to subconscious mind.

With the help of the subconscious mind you can change your vicious nature by cultivating healthy, virtuous qualities that are opposed to the undesirable ones. If you want to overcome fear mentally deny that you have fear and concentrate your attention upon the opposite quality, the ideal of courage. When this is developed fear vanishes away by itself. The positive always overpowers the negative. This is an infallible law of nature.

This is Pratipaksha Bhavana of the Raja Yogins. You can acquire a liking for distasteful tasks and duties by cultivating a desire and taste for them. You can establish new habits, new ideals, new ideas and new tastes and new character in the subconscious mind by changing the old ones. The functions of Chitta are Smritti or Smarana, Dharana (attention) and Anusandhana (inquiry or investigation). When you repeat a Mantra it is the Chitta that does the Smarana. It does a lot of work. It turns out better work than the mind or Buddhi.

All actions, enjoyments and experiences leave their impressions in the subconscious mind in the form of subtle impressions or residual potencies. The Samskaras are the roots of causing again Jati, life and experiences of pleasure and pain. Revival of Samskaras induces memory. The Yogi dives deep inside and comes in direct contact with these Samskaras. He directly perceives them through the inner Yogic Vision. By Samyama (concentration, meditation and Samadhi) on these Samskaras, he acquires knowledge of previous lives. By doing Samyama on the Samskaras of others, the Yogi gets the knowledge of their past lives also. When you desire to remember a thing you will have to make a psychic exertion.

You will have to go up and down the depths of the different levels of the subconscious mind and then pick up the right thing from a curious mixture of multifarious irrelevant matter. Just as the mail sorter in the Railway Mail Service takes up the right letter by moving the hand up and down along the different pigeon-holes, so also the sorter in the subconscious mind goes up and down along the pigeon-holes in the subconscious mind and brings the right thing to the level of normal consciousness.

The subconscious mind can pick the right thing out from a heap of various matters. A Samskara of an experience is formed or developed in the Chitta the very moment when the mind is experiencing something. There is no gap between the present experience and the formation of a Samskara in the subconscious mind. Smrithi or memory is the function of Chitta (subconscious mind). It is a separate faculty or category in Vedanta. Sometimes it is Antarangata (comes under the mind). In Sankhya philosophy it is included in Buddhi or Mahat Tattva.

The Chitta of Patanjali Rishi’s philosophy of Raja Yoga (Yogaschitta Vritti Nirodha) corresponds to the Antahkarana of Vedanta. Mind And Its Mysteries Just as a busy officer works alone in a room by closing all the doors, so also the busy mind works alone in a dream by shutting out all the doors of the senses. Mind is a power born of the soul. It is through mind that the Lord manifests Himself as the differentiated universe with heterogeneous objects. Mind is merely a bundle of thoughts. Of all thoughts the thought ‘I’ is the root.

Therefore, mind is only the thought ‘I’. Mind is nothing but a collection of Samskaras or impressions. It is nothing but a bundle of habits. It is nothing but a collection of desires arising from contact with different objects. It is also a collection of feelings aroused by worldly botherations. It is collection of ideas gathered from different objects. Now these desires, ideas and feelings constantly change. Some of the old desires are constantly departing from their storehouse of the mind, and new ones are replacing them.

In the waking state, the seat of the mind is the brain; in the dreaming state the seat of the mind is the cerebellum; in the deep sleep state it rests in the heart. Mind always attaches itself to something objective. It cannot stand by itself. It is only the mind that asserts itself as ‘I’ in this body. The things that we perceive all round us are only mind in form or substance. ‘Manomatram Jagat—Manah Kalpitam Jagat.’ Mind creates.

Mind destroys. The occult phenomena that take place in the mental world are all based on scientific laws. Occultists and Raja Yogins should have a comprehensive, intelligent understanding of these laws. Then only will they be able to control the psychic forces easily. Practice of telepathy, thought-reading, hypnotism, mesmerism, distant healing, psychic healing, etc., clearly prove that mind exists and that a higher developed mind can influence and subjugate the lower minds. From the automatic writing and the experiences of a hypnotised person..

From - Yoga in daily Life

RAJA YOGA - Part 1

2010-01-05T00:23:00.000-08:00

Mind is mysterious something which is really nothing but does everything. It is born of Maya. It is a product of ignorance. It is a compound of Vasanas and Sankalpas. It is a mixture of worry and fear. It is a solution of Ahankara. It is a confection.
Absolute and relative manifestations.
ATMAN or SPIRIT - Absolute
INTUITIONAL WILL - Plane
MIND PRANA MATTER - Relative manifestations

Matter, Prana and Mind are the three relative manifestations of the Absolute. Prana is really a modification or manifestation of Mind. Prana is Kriya Sakti or faculty of actions. Matter emanates from Prana. Prana proceeds from mind. Matter is below Prana. Prana is above matter but below mind. Prana is positive to matter but negative to mind. Mind is positive to both Prana and Matter, but negative to will. Will is the centre of Ego. Will is the General-in-chief which directs the mind and Prana to all parts and in all directions. Intuition is above reason and is the channel of communication between man and spirit. Development of the Will-Power by Auto-suggestion is the basic principle of Raja Yoga or Vedanta. Superconscious Mind is the realm or Spirit of Life.

Metaphysics Of The Inner Man The physical body, the astral body, Prana, intellect or Buddhi, the instinctive mind, the spiritual mind and the spirit are the seven principles of man. Buddhi is pure reason. The seat of Buddhi is just below the crown of the head in the Pineal Gland of the brain. Buddhi is manifested only in those persons who have developed right intuitive discrimination or Viveka.

The ordinary reason of the worldly people is termed practical reason, which is dense and has limitations. Prana is the vital force, life-energy or Jiva Sakti. It is the eternal symbol of God. It is the link Hiranyagarbha or Golden son of God. It is the link between the astral and physical body. Prana is divided into physical Prana and psychic Prana. Breathing is external manifestation of physical Prana. All thoughts are due to the vibration of psychic Prana in the Chitta. The causal body or Karana Sarira is the support for the astral and physical bodies. Will is Para Sakti. Get this Sakti—you will get Sat or Existence. Chitta is the sub-conscious mind. It has two layers. One layer for emotion and the other for passive memory. The instinctive mind is the lower nature of human beings. It is the desire-mind or Kama Manas.

The spiritual mind is the higher Manas. The seat of the mind is the heart. The mind connected to the Somachakra of the lowermost portion or under-surface of the brain is termed the organ of understanding. By Manonasa or annihilation of the mind is meant the destruction or dissolution of the lower nature, desire-mind. Sankhya Buddhi or Buddhi in the light of Sankhya philosophy is will and intellect combined. Mind is microcosm. Mind is Maya. Mind occupies an intermediate state between Prakriti and Purusha, matter and Spirit.

Tame The Six Wild Beasts You have a whole menagerie within, with the lion, the tiger, the serpent, the elephant, the ape, and the peacock. Bring them to subjection. The beauty of the flesh is really due to the life giving principle Prana. The beauty is attributable to the light that emanates from Atman. The nasty body with oozing discharges from nine gutters is composed of five elements, is a Jada Vasthu and Apavitra. Always entertain this idea. Have a clear-cut, well-defined image-picture like this. You will conquer lust by such a mental drill. If you understand the doctrine of unity in variety, if you know there is only one matter, one Energy, one Mind-substance, one Life, one Existence, Sat, one Reality, and if you entertain always such a thought, you can control Krodha. If you remember that you are only an instrument in the hands of God, that God is everything; God does everything; God is just; then you can get rid of Ahamkara. You can annihilate Dvesha by Pratipaksha Bhavana. Look to the brighter side of persons. Ignore the dark aspect.

Emotion is a motive power like the steam of an engine. It helps you in your evolution. Had it not been for the presence of emotion, you would have passed into a state of passivity or inertia. It gives a push for action or motion. It is a blessing. But you must not become a prey to emotion. You must not allow the emotions to rule you. You must not allow them to bubble out. You must purify and calm the surging emotions. You must allow it to rise slowly and subside quietly from the mind-ocean. You must keep the emotion under perfect control. Do not mistake physical sensations for higher sublime emotions.

Do not be carried away by emotions. There are certain people who 21 RAJA YOGA like to hear some new sensational events just to arouse their emotions. They live on emotions otherwise, they feel quite dull. This is a great weakness. This must be eradicated if they like to have a calm, quiet life. All evil qualities proceed from anger. If you control anger, all evil qualities will vanish by themselves. Ahamkara, Sankalpa, Vasana, Prana have intimate connection with the mind. There cannot be any mind without these four. Prana is the life of the mind. Ahamkara is the root of the mind. Sankalpas are the branches of the tree, mind. Vasana is the seed of mind. This deep rooted tree of Samsara of dire Ajnana which ramifies in various directions with branches full of flowers, tendrils, etc., has the mind as its root. If this root-mind is destroyed, tree of Samsara, this tree of birth and death will also be destroyed.

Cut this root-mind with the axe of Brahma Jnana. Chop off the branches—the Sankalpas, with the knife of Vichara-Viveka. The ever-restless mind becomes quiescent when all desires vanish. Desire raises Sankalpas (thoughts). Man performs actions for acquiring the desired objects. Thus he is caught up in the wheel of Samsara. The wheel stops when the Vasanas perish. Just as there are doors in a bungalow between the outer and inner rooms, so also there are doors between the lower and higher mind. When the mind is purified by the practice of Karma Yoga, Tapas, right conduct or the practice of Yama, Niyama, Japa, meditation, etc., the doors between the lower and the higher mind are opened.

Discrimination between the real and the unreal dawns. The eye of intuition is opened. The practitioner gets inspiration, revelation and higher Divine knowledge. It is extremely difficult to have a calm and pure mind. But you must have such a mind, if you want to have progress in meditation, if you desire to do Nishkamya Karma Yoga. Then only you will have a perfect instrument, a well controlled mind at your disposal.

This is one of the most important qualifications for the aspirant. You will have to struggle hard for a long time with patience and perseverance. Nothing is impossible for a Sadhaka who has iron will and strong determination. Just as soap cleanses the physical body so also Japa of a Mantra, Dhyana, Kirtan and practice of Yama cleanses the mind of its impurities.

From - Yoga in daily Life

Vinyasa: Movement Breathing System

2009-02-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

Vinyasa: Movement Breathing System
Ashtanga yoga wakes up the internal fire. It ignites the dormant flame of vital life energy within all of us. The vinyasa system works with the synchronization of deep, rhythmic breathing
and movement. By linking the postures it creates a continuousflow of energy that heats up the body, bringing oxygen to the blood, nourishing the glands and internal organs, cleansing and
purifying the nervous system, releasing unwanted toxins through perspiration. As the heat goes up toxins are burned up and out of the system, creating a lighter and stronger body, and a clear mind. The heat is not only a physical experience, it is an internal spiritual
fire that burns through the fog of illusion and ignorance. Access All Areas As the internal heat goes up, not only do the toxins begin to exit the system, but another amazing thing happens; the body begins to bend and move. As Pattabhi Jois says “even iron will bend with
heat.” With this freedom of movement we are able to open up areas of the body that had been previously restricted or blocked. There is a release, a feeling of lightness. It is in these places that
we can discover what yoga truly is. Yoga is not just a physical exercise or some new way to pass the time or fill the emptiness, but a method of bringing life and vitality back into those areas,
awareness of the deeper, inner parts of ourselves. It is a reunion with that innate wisdom that we all posess, but seem to have lost touch with. Yoga was developed as a means of acknowledging or returning to the source of life.
From : Ashtanga Yoga Manual

The history of Ashtanga Yoga

2009-02-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

As the story goes, the ashtanga yoga system was reconstructed from a mysterious manuscript written on a bundle of palm leaves, the Yoga Korunta. This collection of verses on hatha yoga was discovered in the 1930’s by yoga master and Sanskrit scholar Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and his disciple K. Pattabhi Jois while researching Sanskrit texts at a Calcutta university library. The manuscript is dated to be between 500 and 1,500 year old. Krishnamacharya and Jois translated and reconstructed the ashtanga yoga series (originally there were six sequences of postures) and Pattabhi Jois, with the encouragement of Krishnamacharya, took the instructions as the basis of his practice and teaching. He is still teaching this method today in Mysore, India at the age of 85. Ashtanga taught by Pattabhi Jois is a form of hatha yoga which focuses on asana (posture) and pranayama (breath control). Some people call this ashtanga vinyasa yoga in order to distinguish between Patanjali’s eightfold system and the ashtanga yoga
described in this manual.
From : Ashtanga Yoga Manual

The Eight Fold Path of Meditation

2009-02-17T23:08:00.000-08:00

The Latin word for meditation is ‘mederi’ which means ‘to heal’. To meditate is to develop an understanding of your inner self, to know yourself better, so that you can improve your life, by watching yourself as a witness to control anger and be more retrospective towards your behaviour and relationship with others.

Meditation is getting in touch with your inner self.
The dictionary defines meditation as continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature; “the habit of meditation is the basis for all real knowledge” .

Meditation is a way of life.
Meditation is getting in touch with the vast reservoir of energy within us.
Meditation is a state of being.
To me, meditation is thoughtlessness.
Gurumaa says that “meditation is being aware”.

However, experience says that real meditation cannot occur without the grace of the master. Meditation starts with repetition of mantra and concentration of breath. Once the seeker starts meditating regularly, the mantra slowly fades out and the breathing becomes so slow that keeping count of it becomes difficult.

According to doctors, the best stress relief technique is meditation. Many patients have been cured of their mental as well as physical problems by meditation and related breathing techniques.

The eight-fold path of yoga as described by sage Patanjali leads to meditation. The first one is yama which is social behaviour which tells us to be non-violent, truthful and honest, not to steal, not to be lustful or possessive. niyama i.e. discipline tells us to be pure, content, austere, study the sacred texts and live with the awareness of the divine. The next point is asana, where we must learn to sit erect so that the energy generated within us can move up the spinal cord from the muladhara chakra towards the head. Once asana has been mastered, we go on to pranayama or controlling or balancing the breath. After the breath is controlled, pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses occurs. Dharana allows the mind to fix itself on an object or sound or within oneself. Uninterrupted meditation is known as dhyana which is the next step. Samadhi, the eighth and final step is the very goal of meditation, which is absolute bliss and union with God. In Samadhi, one realizes the pure consciousness and unites with the absolute.

Visit Anandmurti Gurumaa site for a number of amazingly simple and effective guided meditation techniques. You would also like the great soothing meditation music cds from Mystica Music.

From : Spiritual Guided Meditation

Study of the Chakras - Part 1

2008-12-04T02:58:00.000-08:00

The word chakra is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning wheel. If we were able to see the chakras (as many psychics, in fact, do) we would observe a wheel of energy continuously revolving or rotating. Clairvoyants perceive chakras as colorful wheels or flowers with a hub in the center. The chakras begin at the base of the spine and finish at
the top of the head. Though fixed in the central spinal column they are located on both the front and back of the body, and work through it. Each chakra vibrates or rotates at a different speed. The root or first chakra rotates at the slowest speed, the crown or seventh chakra at the highest speed. Each chakra is stimulated by its own and complimentary color, and a range of gemstones for specific uses. The chakra colors are of the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The size and brightness of the wheels vary with individual development, physical
condition, energy levels, disease, or stress. If the chakras are not balanced, or if the energies are blocked, the basic life force will be slowed down. The individual may feel listless, tired, out of sorts, or depressed. Not only will physical bodily functions be affected so diseases may manifest, but the thought processes and the mind may also be affected. A negative attitude, fear, doubt, etc. may preoccupy the individual
From - The Body Mirror System of Healing

A Look At The Study Levels Specific To Ashtanga Yoga

2008-09-15T01:38:00.000-07:00

A system recorded in ancient manuscripts, Ashtanga yoga was first mentioned and described by the famous sage Pantanjali in the text entitled Yoga Sutras. Literally, Ashtanga yoga can be translated as “eight-limbed yoga” due to the steps required for its mastery. The very name comes from the central practices required on the way of spiritual purification towards the Universal Self; they include: posture, breath control, sense control concentration, moral codes, study, contemplation and meditation. Each and every one of these stages is meant to bring the practitioner closer to personal fulfillment in which mind control and external cleansing are just as important as mind clarity and spiritual awareness.

Asthanga yoga is mainly focusing on specific dynamic postures that enable the creation of a flow of energy known as the Sun Salutation. There are six types of specific postures that need to be practiced in the same order every time, also following a special breathing pattern. The whole purpose of Ashtanga yoga as such is that of rising a certain heat in the body that allows for the cleansing through the increase of the blood flow and the stimulation of sweating. The immediate physical advantages of Asthanga yoga include a higher joint and tendon mobility as well as superior tissue strength.

There are several study levels specific to Ashtanga yoga, and they are usually organized under the close supervision of an instructor, even if originally the exercises were designed for self-practice. In order to train the body locks and enter or move out of a posture, the Ashtanga yoga practitioner needs to contract specific groups of muscles. Though it may seem like some exotic type of group muscle training, Ashtanga yoga reaches out to high spiritual awareness; the correct practice of this type of yoga is most definitely likely to bring lots of satisfactions both in the seen and the unseen dimensions of personal reality.

Made popular by Madonna, Ashtanga yoga is also accompanied by the incantation of mantras for the beginning and the end of the session. Furthermore, in order to have a distinct approach to yoga for children and adolescents, Ashtanga yoga was also adapted to be more dynamic and include jumps and push ups as well as a series of postures that youngsters find a lot more appealing. Such changes were necessary given the fact that attention focus and inner retrospection are less common in young age. Hence, Ashtanga yoga can be practiced by anyone, on the sole condition that classes and professional guidance be followed.

Ashtanga Yoga is a Demanding Style of Yoga

2008-08-23T04:11:00.000-07:00

If you have performed different types of yoga, you may think that you should make an easy transition to Ashtanga yoga, but this is not necessarily true. The fact is that Ashtanga is a much more difficult and physically demanding type of yoga than you might be used to.

Because this is such a physically demanding type of yoga, it is recommended that you do not try to do this type of yoga on your own. Those who achieve best results usually are able to find a teacher, class or workshop so that they can learn the proper forms and postures that they need to know in order to do this type of yoga properly.

The reason why Ashtanga is designed to be such an intense form of yoga is because its developers felt that if there is intense heat created inside a person's body, then this heat would work to help eliminate toxins and other impure things inside a human body. The desired result from doing this kind of yoga is a clear mind as well as a clear body.

In order to properly learn how to do this kind of yoga, the following steps should be followed:

• Learn the poses - This sounds simple enough, but it can be much more difficult than it sounds. Ashtanga yoga is made up of a series of different poses. The poses are designed to promote the body's flexibility and strength. It is also hoped that this type of yoga is able to improve the circulation of blood and the function of some internal organs.

• Breathe - Yes, we know this sounds self explanatory, but there are certain ways that you need to breath in order to properly complete this kind of yoga. In yoga, the breathing techniques are referred to as "pranayama." This process is what is said to purify the energy that flows through the body. Each pose that a person makes must be coordinated to go along with a certain kind of breathing in order to do this yoga properly.

• Meditate - Meditation is a big part of any kind of yoga. This is true for Ashtanga as well. Meditation is used to help the person doing yoga relax their mind and get in tune with what it is that they are doing. Even when you are not performing yoga, meditation can help change the way you react to different situations. It can result in a more stable self that is calmer and more inspired to make proper choices.

• Practice - You probably will not completely grasp hold of Ashtanga yoga the first time you do it. It can be difficult because it is an intense workout that still requires you to be able to control your breathing in a certain way. For some people, it takes a fair amount of practice to get this technique down. There is no reason why you should get discouraged if you at first feel like a fish out of water. Simply practicing this type of yoga and the breathing that accompanies it can help you understand what you need to do in no time.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on yoga, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and renewable energy. For more of her useful articles on yoga and Pilates, please visit Pilates Equipment, home to many useful articles about health and fitness.

Ashtanga Yoga - What's It All About

2008-08-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

In Sanskrit, Ashtanga Yoga means "eight limbs," with Ashta meaning eight, and Anga meaning limbs. These eight limbs are meant to help a devotee t Ashtanga Yoga live a healthy life. One of the main intentions for this type of yoga is to help minimize strss and anxiety in one's life, and to strengthen our endurance. In Western Yoga circles, many people practice Power Yoga which is essentially a form which is modeled after traditional Ashtanga Yoga. There are eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, which work in the following way:

The first limb is Asana, which is the discipline of performing Yoga exercises in order to better your spirit and your body. The second limb is Niyama, which is for taking control of your entire life by learning personal restraint. Niyama is a combination of joy, patience, self-study, purity and the love of god. The third limb is Yama, which involves enabling us to dwell on all the good in human behavior, and is comprised of non-violence, celibacy, truthfulness, staying clear of envy, avoiding jealousy and possessiveness, and resisting stealing. Pranayma is the word for controlled breathing, which is part of many branches of Yoga practice.

The fifth limb of Ashtanga Yoga is called Dharna, which is to aid in concentration on personal learning, in order to improve our understanding our of the overall scheme of life and our place within it. Dharna also involves forming long term goals and firm missions for our lives. The sixth limb is Pratyahara, which involves helping to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world so that our minds may focus. A focused mind is a haven for positive thoughts. The seventh limb of Ashtanga Yoga is Dhyana, which helps us concentrate on our mission and our long term goals through pursuing meditation. Finally, the eighth limb is Samadhi, which is the attainment of bliss and peace in addition to the ability to find our life mission and to strive continually to reach our personal enlightenment goal.

Ashtanga Yoga is a style of yoga which is practiced in stages. Ashtanga students only benefit if they progress and their own individual pace, achieving goals on their own time. Ashtanga Yoga begins with what is called Yoga Chikitsa, and involves detoxification of the body in order to build stamina and strength. There are seventy-five poses involved, which take around two hours to complete. The exercises begin with Surya Namaskar, which is the sun salutation, and follow with a series of different standing and sitting exercises, and inversion and relaxation exercises.

The second set of exercise in the series is called Nadi Shodana, which helps to build strength in the nervous system. The exercises in this series follow a similar sequence to what is practiced in the first series, but with the inclusion of several extra poses. The final set of exercises in this series is called Sthira Bhaga, which is Divine Permanence. This is the final and most advanced of all forms in the practice, and involves mastering the initial exercises beforehand.

Ashtanga Yoga is a lifetime passion which involves serious discipline and dedication, but it is well worth the effort involved if you want to reap the physical and emotional benefits it provides.

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What Is Ashtanga Yoga? Understanding the Methods

2008-08-14T03:26:00.000-07:00

Ashtanga yoga, also known as power yoga, is quickly gaining popularity among practitioners. So what is Ashtanga yoga? It is the form of yoga most used by athletes and those interested in quickly increasing strength and stamina. Because of that, Ashtanga yoga postures have a higher degree of difficulty than those in other styles. Additionally, they are done as part of series.

Usually, students doing Ashtanga yoga postures will move quickly from one to the other to maintain that focus on strength. That is in opposition to many other forms of yoga where the emphasis is on breathing, relaxation, and flexibility.

Who Should Practice Ashtanga Yoga?

Ashtanga yoga poses are for most anyone who is in decent shape. If you are new to exercise, this is probably not the form of yoga with which you should start. Even the very easiest of Ashtanga poses are very demanding on the body, especially since you will even start with a body warming routine that is designed to activate your muscles. Overall, Ashtanga yoga can provide you with a build up of strength, stamina, and even some flexibility which explains its popularity with those involved in athletics.

If you decide to give Ashtanga a try, you should expect things to progress quickly. You will likely start right off with a sequence of yoga poses. Those will be practiced until the teacher feels you have mastered it fairly well and have complete understanding of its fundamentals. Then, you will move on to another series and a higher level of difficulty. Overall, it is a very fast moving form of yoga.

Ashtanga Poses

As for the Ashtanga yoga poses, they range widely in terms of positioning. You will find yourself moving from standing, backbent, inverted, balancing, seated, and even twisting poses. In power yoga, the sun salutation sequence of poses is very popular as well, so you will often use standing forward bend, upward dog, downward dog, and many other poses sprinkled in as well.

Though much of the focus in Ashtanga yoga poses is on the development of stamina and strength, you will also, as with any yoga, be focusing. You will be asked to focus your eyes on a point as you move through the poses given out by your instructor. In order to get the full effect and benefit of Ashtanga, you should make sure that your muscles and perhaps even the rooms are very warm. This ensures maximum flexibility and minimal injury as you work through the demanding postures.

If you are into athletics, exercise, or just want a new physical challenge, perhaps you should consider giving Ashtanga yoga a try. The clear choice of athletes and an increasingly popular form in general, it is perfect for those that are in decent shape and want to increase their strength, stamina, and flexibility. Power yoga is a series of poses taken in a quick and free flowing sequence. Even the classes move quickly with teachers adding more difficult sequences every time one is fairly well mastered. So if you learn fast, like to work hard, and think you are up to the challenge of power yoga, then you may benefit greatly from Ashtanga yoga poses.

References: http://.yoga.org.nz/what-is-yoga/yoga_styles.htm

If you'd like to find out more about ashtanga yoga postures, see this article. Ashtanga yoga is great for losing weight, so if you're interested in learning about the benefits of yoga breathing and weight loss, click here.

A Look At The Study Levels Specific To Ashtanga Yoga

2008-08-12T23:57:00.000-07:00

What Is Ashtanga Yoga?

2008-08-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

In Sanskrit Ashta means eight and Anga means limbs so it can be termed as the eight limb path and is based on Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali. As history of yoga is very rich it helps people in all its manner and this is one of its form which is also known as Power Yoga. Each of the eight limbs has an important part to play for a better and healthy living looking ahead to make life less stressful and happy.

The eight limbs which signify Ashthanga Yoga are

1. Yama - It reflects the moral and ethical grounds of human behavior

Ahimsa: Non-violence

Satya: Truthfulness

Asteya: No stealing

Brahmacharya: Celibacy

Aparigraha: Non-covetousness or Envy or possessiveness

2. Niyama - It reflects the disciplines one has to go through their human life

Shoucha - Purity Santosh - Contentment Tapa - Endurance Swadhyaya- Self study Eshwar Pranidhan- Dedication towards god

3. Asana: It is the practice of asana for better well-being in your body and soul

4. Pranayama: Breathing exercises a way to attain control on your breathing pattern

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses, which would mean total cut off from the outside world and the concentration level increases in making your mind a haven for all the positive energy.

6. Dharana: Concentration, something which would help you to concentrate without any level of distraction.

7. Dhyana: Meditation and concentration on things which are your main objective but also being done on a wider perspective.

8. Samadhi: Attainment a state of joy and bliss which is based on your skills of dhyana and realizing the purity of your life and the importance in life as whole. It can also be stated as enlightenment.

Written By:-Kevin Pederson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Pederson

Ashtanga Yoga Basics

2008-08-11T00:50:00.000-07:00

The word yoga originates from Sanskrit, which is an ancient language from India. It means union particularly of the body, spirit and mind. The yoga that we know today is what is termed as asana, which pertains to postures and poses.

Asana is just one of the eight types of yoga. It is more physical compared to the other types of yoga, which are more directed towards the development of mental and spiritual aspect of an individual. At present the word yoga is used synonymously with asana.

Basic Yoga Poses
If you want to try some basic yoga stances just to see whether you can do it or not, then the sun salutation is the way to go. It is easy to follow and very relaxing. Since this is your first time make sure that you focus on your breathing and then follow the following procedures one at a time carefully and slowly:

Breathe in again while looking up. Bend your left knee and put your left foot in front while lunging forward. By the way your right leg should be behind you and your knee should be resting on the floor.
While breathing in, position yourself in a push-up pose keeping your head and your hips off the floor.
Breathe out; bend your elbows and your chin with your chest and knees to the floor while at the same time keeping your butt and stomach off the floor.
Inhale or breathe in and then slowly slide your chest forward while arching your back and slightly bending your elbows. This position is called the Cobra.
Breathe out slowly as you fold your body forward and while at this position try to lift up your heels and try to form a V-shape using your body. Remember do not rush your body into doing this exercise. Take your time.
While inhaling, lunge forward using your right foot. Your left foot should be at the back with knee on the floor and your head facing up.
Release air slowly and then try to bring your left foot to meet the right foot. Stand up and bend forward. Try reaching your knee with your head.
Inhale, stand and keep feet together. Lean back and then stretch your arms behind you. Slowly bring your arms at your sides. That concludes your basic yoga fitness stance.

Written By:- John Furnem

Article Source:- http://www.isnare.com/?aid=111383&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

How to Practice Ashtanga Yoga

2008-08-08T02:26:00.000-07:00

One type of yoga that is very popular today is Ashtanga yoga and you can easily take a closer look so you understand what this sort of yoga is all about.

Sri Krishnamacharya at Mysore Palace was the initial creator of Ashtanga yoga. He was also the person responsible for influencing the different modern forms of yoga that we have today. The Ashtanga Yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India, is that yoga which is truest to the teachings of the creator. The yoga is an aerobic type of yoga and it is physically demanding too. The main focus of the Ashtanga is the vinyasa which is the series of movements which are combined with certain specific breathing patterns. One breath is required for each type of movement. What this breathing and movement tries to do is that it tries to make the blood hot. Hot blood is thin and it aids in purifying the body which in turn creates better blood flow. It also ends up producing sweat and this sweat gets rid of the harmful toxins and leaves the body free from disease.

Ashtanga yoga aims to purify the body through the eight limbs or steps of yoga. It starts out with the Yama which is the control and Niyana which are the rules of conduct. These are ways which we deal and with which we can interact with the entire world and ourselves at the same time. These steps can't be practiced but they are ethical issues. This way you can create an environment that promotes positive growth.

The third and fourth steps are the steps that have to do with the asanas which are the poses and postures. Pranayama the fourth step deals with breath control. The Ashtanga yoga focuses on the belief that breathing is essential to life. Breathing should always be even, smooth and have a natural rhythm. Most people who aren't able to breathe properly only use about half of their complete lung capacity. Correct breathing will also help bring your mind to the heart's center and provide inner peace too. What asanas help you do is that they help you gain a better sitting position that aids your meditation. Asanas also help you reduce your lower blood pressure and cholesterol and have a healthy heart and remain fit. In terms of mental fitness they lower stress and tension in our lives.

The other four steps can't be practiced. These steps are about creating optimal conditions that provide you with true meditation. The fifth step is known as the pratyahara or a withdrawal of your senses. What this step helps us do is maintain attention and prevent us from being distracted from our essential senses. The next three steps are focused on the meditative aspects of yoga. Dhara is focused on helping you concentrate in a single direction. Dhayna is an uninterrupted meditation and Samadhi is about being completely with self and experiencing full absorption.

Three main sequence groups are involved in the practice of Ashtanga yoga. The first of these is the Primary Series, what this is about is the perfect alignment of the body and getting it rid of the toxins. After this you have the intermediate series which is about opening and clearing channels and ultimately purifying the nervous system. The final step is the Advanced Series and what this step entails is higher levels of flexibility as well as strength and grace. Advancement in each stage can only be gained after you have successfully mastered the previous step.

Written By:- Darren Williger

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Williger

Ashtanga Yoga: The Eight Limbs

2008-08-07T01:31:00.000-07:00

Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In India and across the World, Yoga is seen as a means to both physical health and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas or postures of Hatha Yoga.

In the United States the American Fitness Professionals & Associates offers Yoga Certification for intructors.

Ashtanga means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit, a reference to eight elements that define as a lifestyle. These "limbs" cover your attitudes towards the world around you, your attitudes towards yourself, the poses, breathing exercises, the withdrawal of the senses, concentration, contemplation, and enlightenment.

As a type of yoga, Ashtanga is better known as "power yoga." This specialized form of Hatha yoga (which uses the third and forth of the eight limbs, poses and breathing exercises) provides an intense workout. Six series of poses within Ashtanga yoga allow for steps of progression in skill, strength, and flexibility. After learning the order of poses from an instructor (the first series includes 75 poses and can take two hours to complete), students often practice Ashtanga independently. This allows them to progress at their own pace to master each series before attempting to learn the next.

With 75 poses in the first series alone, Ashtanga yoga can be difficult to learn, especially with the Sanskrit names.

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Did you know?

Buddha, who is estimated to have lived 563 to 483 BC, is believed to have studied what was known of yoga at that time as part of an extensive education in Hindu philosophy. It is also very likely, given the rapid growth of Buddhism after his death and before the Bhagavad Gita was composed, that Buddhism had some influence on that work. There is a considerable overlap between the Hindu yoga tradition and Buddhism.

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Many athletes prefer Ashtanga yoga because of its vigorous full-body workout. With meditation
downplayed and the poses emphasized, "power yoga" focuses on building flexibility, stamina, and strength, tied into breathing control, with breathing synchronized with the poses. Each breath correlates with one pose. The focal point of the eyes is also controlled, to create a unified control of the looking point, the breathing, and the bodily position.

"Intense" describes Ashtanga yoga as a whole. This type of yoga stresses the synchronized breathing and vigorous poses to produce intense internal heat and to detoxify the body (organs and muscles) by profuse sweating. Make sure you have time for a shower after the Ashtanga yoga lesson! The results include improved circulation and a body that's both strong and lithe.

A warm environment best suits Ashtanga yoga to comfort the muscles and ease their flexibility. A proper warm-up and relaxing session are required for this form of yoga to avoid harm. The demands of these exercises make caution necessary, as an individual can overdo the workouts, overstrain his or her muscles, and do physical damage. People not used to exercise definitely should not start with this form of yoga.
Written By:Michael Saunders
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_114297_23.html

The Eight Fold Path of Meditation - Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga

2008-08-06T02:36:00.000-07:00

The Latin word for meditation is 'mederi' which means 'to heal'. To meditate is to develop an understanding of your inner self, to know yourself better, so that you can improve your life, by watching yourself as a witness to control anger and be more retrospective towards your behaviour and relationship with others.

Meditation is getting in touch with your inner self.
The dictionary defines meditation as continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature; "the habit of meditation is the basis for all real knowledge" .
Meditation is a way of life.
Meditation is getting in touch with the vast reservoir of energy within us.
Meditation is a state of being.
To me, meditation is thoughtlessness.
Gurumaa says that “meditation is being aware”.

According to doctors, the best stress relief technique is meditation. Many patients have been cured of their mental as well as physical problems by meditation and related breathing techniques.

Visit Anandmurti Gurumaa site for a number of amazingly simple and effective guided meditation techniques. You would also like the great soothing meditation music cds from Mystica Music.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Satyakaam_G