Archive for the ‘Yogic Meditation’ Category

Yoga Meditation for Creating States of Happiness

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Amruta Kulkarni 

Actually, I never thought about how much time I wasted being unhappy, until I received guidance from my Guru (Paulji). For most people, there is limited awareness of negative feelings. People carry baggage around for years and never notice it. Friends tire of hearing our pessimism and they stop calling or visiting. Happiness can fill your life completely. Below is one of my favorite happiness quotes.

“As human beings, we all want to be happy and free from misery… The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions, such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.” – The Dalai Lama 

The question of how to be happy in a perilous world is an ancient one. In a 2010 speech at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, the Dalai Lama said that a “calm mind is the key to happiness.” Based on his teachings, there are two kinds of suffering in the world: physical pain and mental pain.

While the occurrence of mental pain has decreased with technology, modern life has actually produced more mental pain. Mental pain is caused by fear, anxiety, and anger; this is what creates unhappiness.

Dr. Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota, has worked with the Dalai Lama for the past 10 years – seeking the answer to what creates feelings of happiness and compassion. In 2010, their efforts resulted in the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds. There, more than a dozen scientists continue their studies in the world’s only facility that houses a brain imaging laboratory on one side and a meditation center on the other.

In 2003, studies done at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), used MRIs to analyze during compassion meditation the brain of a monk with over 30 years of experience. The images showed extreme activity in the left prefrontal cortex of the monk’s mind. People who are anxious or depressed usually show more activity in the right prefrontal cortex.

In the “Heart and Science of Yoga,” the author says that we are citizens of two separate worlds: the spiritual and the physical. Sages of all religions have reminded us that earthly things will pass away; only pure consciousness remains. Meditation helps us to distinguish between the two, putting our love and compassion into those things that are eternal.

Yoga meditation is part of every class and it is the process that integrates the mind and the body. The meditative process results in calmness, heightened senses, and senses of understanding about who were are, and how we are connected to the universe. With that comes happiness.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Teaching Hatha Yoga – Optional Tools for Yoga Meditation

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

By Sanjeev Patel, CYT 500

What tools and props might be useful for meditation? Sitting in a position that keeps the spine straight is a key element in meditation, but Paulji has also mentioned a position he refers to as “Legs Through the Chair” pose.

By elevating the lower legs through the back of a chair with an open back, the spine is straight while a student is in a supine asana. Although this is more relaxed than sitting on the floor – It isn’t easy to fall asleep when the legs are in this position because the student still has to mindfully hold the knees and hips at 90 degree angles.

Below are some other ideas for optimum Yogic meditation.

Although there is some debate on this subject. Incense (creates smoke) or oils can be used to evoke calm mental states that are beneficial for meditation.

I personally don’t like smoke, but a candle flame, or oil lamp, can symbolize your readiness to tune into the inner light.

Japa Mala beads can be used for counting during meditation. Traditional Roman Catholics often use Rosary beads, which can also be used for counting prayers, chanting, or focusing.

Fresh flowers will always lift your mind by encouraging a mood that is conducive for meditation.

A Himalayan style singing bowl, Rin gong, or a standing bell, will provide the ideal beginning or end to a period of meditation.

Mantra – a mystical symbol encased within a sound structure, a mental tool, through repetition helps the mind in its journey to transcend normal limitations.

Select your clothing carefully. Wear nothing tight or restrictive so as to be uncomfortable. Tight clothing will only make you focus on being uncomfortable. Your body temperature will drop during meditation. In some cases a robe, shawl, or blanket might be necessary to keep warm.

Meditation requires a supportive seat, zafu cushion, zabuton meditation cushions, seiza benches, meditation benches, meditation chair, a meditative stool, pillow, or a special rug. You must be comfortable to concentrate. In some cases a simple chair and a blanket may be good props for meditation.

Students need a calm, relaxed, or sacred room, where one can find inner peace.

A Yantra, which is a geometric picture used by Yogis use for focusing one’s attention during meditation.

Below are Three Basic Methods of Yoga Meditation:

Body Witnessing: Simply mindful watching and observing what is unfolding during meditation within our bodies.

Mind Witnessing: This is of the same nature, but one is witnessing one’s thoughts, emotions, and reactions to such things.

Energy Witnessing: One is witnessing the energy levels present in the body.

Hari Om Tat Sat

© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Publications

Sanjeev Patel is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga Meditation – Where do I start?

Friday, September 10th, 2010

By Sanjeev Patel, CYT

Many Yoga teachers have difficulty explaining their meditation practice to students.  What is Yoga meditation? Yogic Meditation is a discipline in which a Yogi transcends the reflexive mind into a deeper state of awareness (consciousness). There are many forms of meditation, with many different lineages. Some are based on a philosophy, or a religion; and some are contemporary styles.

To name all the forms of meditation practiced in Yoga would make a large and handsome book. Rather than approach all forms of meditation, let’s look at the easiest way to meditate, and enjoy the benefits, in the shortest amount of time. After you have successfully practiced meditating for one month, then feel free to experiment with other methods.

The spine should be straight. This is the first factor of successful meditation. Some Yoga students have a difficult time sitting still. If a student comes from a chair sitting culture, he or she will have even more difficulty sitting still and keeping the spine straight.

Instead of focusing the mind, this student is uncomfortable and thinks of pain in the back. Paulji has a method for being comfortable while meditating right away. “Legs through the chair pose” is the posture he advises to keep the back straight. Hence, the student can focus on meditation instead of a pain in the back.

Legs through the chair is easy. Put a blanket on the seat of a chair with an open back, and roll out a Yoga mat in front of that chair. Lie on your Yoga mat. Bring your knees to your chest, and extend your lower legs onto the seat and through the open back. Let your lower legs relax on the blanket that covers the seat. Adjust until you are comfortable with your spine completely flat.

Now, let your body relax, place one hand on your navel and one hand on the center of your chest. Let your elbows gently root into the ground and close your eyes. Focus on your navel and notice how it moves up with inhalation and down when you exhale.

Observe your breath and nothing more, Don’t make judgments, try to control your breath, or extend your breath. Just enjoy each breath like you are on a peaceful ride to a blissful destination. You are now meditating because your mind is only focused on one task.

Do this same Yoga meditation technique for 30 days and feel your mind change. This simple breath awareness technique has changed many Yoga students lives. Students who had difficulty with other meditation methods had no problem learning how to do this. You can always change the asana or extend your breath cycles after you have mastered the foundation of Yoga meditation.

Hari Om Tat Sat

© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Publications

Sanjeev Patel is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga Meditation Training and the Importance of Biofeedback

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

By Sanjeev Patel

What is biofeedback? What is the relationship between biofeedback and Yoga? Many Yoga certification courses don’t discuss the importance of the relationship between biofeedback and meditation.  Biofeedback is a special kind of information that is concerned with such life processes as the beating of the heart, the pressure and circulation of the blood, and the energy waves of the brain.

Biofeedback instruments translate an inner functioning into a visual or aural signal like a flashing light, a moving needle, a sustained tone, bleeps, amplified breathing or heartbeats. The subject modifies the signal by taking notes of what sensation accompanies the change in signal and in so doing he is able to regulate normally involuntary physiological mechanisms.

Yogis and Yoginis can achieve this tuning without the aid of electrical instruments but biofeedback provides assistance in developing that sensitivity of awareness to everyone. Biofeedback is beneficial in areas of medical treatments that deals with migraine and tension headache, high blood pressure, heat trouble, insomnia, muscular tics and anxiety and biofeedback training opens up many possibilities in auto-healing.

Meditation and biofeedback are both wonderful tools for training the mind to distinguish between false alarms and signs of real danger. There is scientific evidence that meditation can reduce blood pressure, reduce stress levels, and relieve pain.

Through biofeedback we can also learn to reproduce brain waves patterns found in meditation and researchers theorize that people can be trained to mimic in a relatively short time the complete physiological pattern that characterizes meditation.

Although there is skepticism about this reproduction being identical to the experience of Yoga and Zen meditation, the researchers feel that many people who live in this new technological age will be encouraged to start meditating through the appeal of biofeedback.

© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Publications

Sanjeev Patel is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

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BRAHMAMUHURTA…TIME FOR MEDITATION

Monday, January 25th, 2010

By Dr. Rita Khanna

O traveller get up; it is dawn-it is not right that you continue sleeping.

One who awakes, he finds, One who is asleep, he loses.

Get up and open your eyes from slumber and meditate on your Master.

-Kabir (Mystic Saint of India)

WHAT IS BRAHMAMUHURTA?

Waking up before dawn is Brahmamuhurta. There are varied opinions about exactly which hours constitute Brahmamuhurta. Some say it is from 3am to 6am, that is the last three hours of the night, and others say it is one and a half hours just before Sunrise, when the sky has a rosy-red hue.

A few stars may also be visible. Sivananda Yoga says Brahmamuhurta is the morning period between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. This sacred interval is also known as the Amritavela. This is the best time to get out of bed and meet the day. All the birds and animals that Mother Nature has assigned to awake at this time are, indeed, up by then. Hence, they are able to enjoy the sacred bliss of those pristine moments during the Amritavela. This is best time for Meditation and obtaining knowledge.

WHY BRAHMAMUHURTA IS THE BEST TIME FOR MEDITATION?

After a good night’s sleep, the mind becomes refreshed, calm, and serene. There is preponderance of Sattva, or purity in the mind, at this time, as well as in the atmosphere. At this time, the mind is like a blank sheet of paper – free from Raga-dvesha or worldly impressions (Samskaras).

It can be moulded easily. You can infuse it with divine thoughts. Further, all the pure souls start their Meditation during the Brahmamuhurta and send their vibrations throughout the world – benefiting all. So, Meditation comes by itself, without any effort. It is a terrible spiritual loss for you if you do not utilize the period in divine contemplation, because such Sadhana gives quick and maximum progress.

GUIDELINES FOR MEDITATION

• If you are not in the habit of getting up early, use an alarm timepiece. Once the habit is established, there will be no difficulty. The subconscious mind will automatically wake you up at the particular time.

• Do not waste much time in morning ablutions. Answer the calls of nature quickly. Clean your teeth quickly. Be quick. Otherwise, the Brahmamuhurta will pass away quickly.

• If you suffer from constipation have vigorous practice of Salabha, Bhujanga and Dhanur Asanas for 5 minutes as soon as you get up from bed. Otherwise, do Meditation as soon as you get up. You can answer the calls of nature after finishing your morning Meditation with the help of a cup of hot milk.

• In the winter, it is not necessary that you should take a cold bath. Wash the face, hands, and feet quickly; dash cold water on the face and top of the head. This will cool the brain and the eyes.

• As soon as you are ready, sit in Siddha, Padma, or Sukha Asana. Do Meditatation or Japa for half an hour. Then, do Asanas and Mudras. Take rest for 5-10 minutes. Then, do Pranayama, study of the Gita, and other religious books.

• Like Brahmmuhurta, Sandhya time, or dusk, is also favourable for Meditation. During Brahmamuhurta and dusk, the Sushumna Nadi flows readily. When the breath flows through both nostrils, know that the Sushumna is working. You will enter into deep Meditation and Samadhi, without much effort, when Sushumna Nadi flows. That is the reason why Rishis, Yogis, and scriptures speak very highly of these two periods of time. Whenever the Sushumna functions – sit for meditation and enjoy the inner peace of Atman or soul.

• Before you sit for Pranayama practice, thoroughly clean the nostrils. You can take a small quantity of fruit juice, or a small cup of milk, or coffee – even before the practice. When you finish the practice, take a cup of milk, or light tiffin, after 10 minutes.

JUST BEFORE JAPA AND MEDITATION- IF FEELING SLEEPY…

• Do Sirshasana, Sarvangasana, or any other Asana, for five minutes.

• Do Pranayama for five minutes.

• Do both Asana and Pranayama for five minutes.

• Repeat some divine Stotras, hymns, Guru Stotras, chant OM 12 times, or do Kirtan for five minutes.

These will quickly elevate you mind and drive off laziness and sleepiness. You must have a routine according to your convenience and time.

BENEFITS

If we arise before dawn, if possible at Brahmamuhurta, and perform our personal spiritual practice and then go to work, we will find that that our intellect and senses are strengthened greatly. We can be certain that our health will be at its best and we can work more efficiently. So get up, start your Meditation vigorously, and enjoy the eternal bliss of the Inner Self. He who wants to live long, and be healthy, should wake up from sleep at Brahmamuhurta.

MEDITATION TECHNIQUE

• Sit in any comfortable posture, which you can maintain without difficulty throughout the practice. Close your eyes… let your whole body become relaxed and steady… Keep your spine erect and place your hands on the knees… Feel deep peace pervade the whole body and mind… Become aware of the natural breath… feel the air as it flows in and out of the nostrils…

• Contract the glottis slightly and begin to practice Ujjayi Pranayama… The breath should be natural and spontaneous, rather than deep… Practice very soft Ujjayi breathing so that only you can hear it…

• Become aware of the psychic passage between the navel and the throat… Feel the breath moving up and down the psychic passage… On inhalation, the breath ascends from the navel to the throat… On exhalation, it descends from the throat to the navel…

• Continue to move the breath up and down the psychic passage, between the throat and the navel… Count the number of respirations, and at the same time… Be aware of the path through which your consciousness is ascending and descending… Be aware that you are breathing up and down and side by side, maintain complete awareness of the counting… Start counting from 1 right up to 100…

• Focus your attention on the navel and notice the movement of your abdomen… With inspiration, the navel expands… with expiration, it contracts…Maintain awareness of the expansion… and contraction… of your abdomen, and the ascending and descending breath, along with the counting…

• Now, take your awareness to Mooladhara Chakra at the base of the spine…Continue to practice Ujjayi Pranayama… As you inhale, send the breath up the spinal cord from Mooladhara to Ajna Chakra. As you exhale, send the breath down through the spinal cord to Mooladhara.

• Continue to breathe up and down the spinal cord… Feel the Ujjayi breath becoming longer and finer… Fix your attention on Mooladhara Chakra… Ascend the inspired breath through the spinal cord to Ajna, and descend the expired breath through the spinal cord to Mooladhara… Continue to practice in this way…

• Feel the breath and awareness move up and down the spinal cord in a steady… continuous … rhythmic flow…

• Now, leave the psychic passage and the breath…and focus your awareness at the eyebrow centre…Visualize the form of your choice (Om, a point, star, candle flame, crescent moon, flower, or any symbol) and develop complete awareness of that form…Try to see the form very clearly…Hold it for some time…See that the mind does not waver…Watch the form consciously and try to merge yourself within it…Do not lose your awareness of the form…If thoughts come, be aware of them, but go on concentrating on the form…As soon as the mind becomes disturbed… the form will fade… but as long as the mind is quiet and concentrated, the form will remain clear…

• Now, it is time to end the practice…Again bring your awareness to the natural breath…Become aware of the physical body and slowly open your eyes.

Om Shanti

If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.

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Dr. Rita Khanna

Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by world famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India).

She believes firmly that Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succour to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga Teachers Training.

At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is running a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).

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