By Faye Martins
Self-mastery through the practice of Raja Yoga is possible with a sincere and consistent effort on the part of the student. Raja Yoga is a scientific process of spiritual development through the practice of meditation. The system was defined by a great sage, Patanjali, in his Yoga sutras or aphorisms.
The essence of Raja Yoga is the stilling of the thought-waves of the mind in order to allow the mind to come to rest in the clear light of inner bliss. Classically, Raja Yoga is practiced sitting on a deer or tiger skin while repeating a sacred mantra. Today, an ergonomically-designed meditation cushion or a straight-back chair works just as well! The repetition of a sacred mantra is still a core element of the practice of Raja Yoga.
When you first begin your meditation practice, you may become aware of many thoughts floating through your mind. Yogic wisdom recommends that you do not become attached to these thoughts. Just let them float by like cumulus clouds in a soft-summer sky. One way to do this is to allow your mind to focus on the repetition of a mantra.
Gradually, you will find that number of different thoughts start to become less and less. After a period of time, the vrittis or thought-waves in your mind will start to fade away. As your mind settles, your consciousness is able to shift to the unchanging divinity within the core of your own being.
In order to obtain self-mastery through the practice of Raja Yoga, a student should practice meditation on daily basis, preferably at the same time and in the same location. If you have the space, you can set up a meditation room or dedicate a corner in your home to your Raja Yoga practice. When this space is dedicated to the practice of meditation, the spiritual energy or shakti that you generate through your spiritual practices will become very strong. This energy will then help support your meditation practice going forward.
Meditation practices are most effective when they are done daily. If you are pressed for time, even fifteen minutes a day, every day, will make an enormous difference over time. One of the keys to a successful Raja Yoga practice is regularity.
Even though it may not seem like much, fifteen, or twenty minutes, a day will help your mind to settle much more quickly than an hour of meditation on a sporadic basis. Eventually, the dedicated practice of Raja Yoga will help you to live in the awareness of the inner presence of God.
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