Finer tips on meditation!

We last talked about how we can start meditation in the simplest of the ways. Going forward, here are some of the finer tips now :

• One should sit straight in whatever position suits them.
• The spine should be kept upright.
• The hands should be rested on the lap or the knees with palms pointing upwards.
• Relax your body completely before meditation.
• While meditating, it helps to face North or East.
• It helps to insulate your body while meditating i.e. sit on a seat with a woollen blanket or silk cloth.
• Close your eyes and focus at the center point between your eyebrows
• Inhale slowly through your nose to a count of 10/15/20 (whatever suits you) without exerting yourself.
• Hold your breath to the same count and exhale your breath through the nose to the same count.
• This should be practiced 10-12 times.
• Inhale deeply, tense your body then exhale out with force and relax your body.
• While inhaling and exhaling, one can say ‘Soham’.
• Now meditate while contemplating upon God! That ‘God is bliss’, ‘God is joy’ and ‘He is one with me’!
• It is good to meditate at the same time of the day and at the same place, everyday.
• Never try to stop the flow of thoughts in your mind while meditating. Keep watching them like a spectator. With time, thoughts shall subside on their own.
• For those who find it hard to concentrate and meditate, sitting on a banana leaf initially (for about 2-3 months) can be extremely beneficial!

What are the main causes of disturbance in meditation?

The main causes can be divided in two parts viz. the external and the internal. The external cause is the noisy environment. In the beginning one needs calm and quiet environment to meditate, but later on one can meditate even in noisy environment. Internal reasons are more difficult to control. These mainly correspond to our five senses, and the thoughts surfacing and occupying our mind. These can be controlled by practice alone!

Why sometimes while meditating one falls asleep?

While meditating, it is essential to sit upright with straight spine and focussing at the space between our eyebrows. If you are in too relaxed a position and the gaze lowers, one tends to fall asleep. When you are meditating with your gaze between the eyebrows, one tends to go to the super conscious state.

Never get up immediately after meditation. Touch your face and body with your hands. Then pray to God for few minutes for whatever you wish before getting up.

What are the stages of meditation?

First, our organs of action come under our control, then the mind i.e. the wavering emotions, desires to get absorbed in the intellect. Then we lose our identity and go into the state of samadhi. Finally we reach the highest goal of recognizing our Atman.

If we close all the windows of our house and complain that we are feeling suffocated, or that we are not getting any illumination from the Sun, it is our own fault. We, ourselves, have to open the windows to let in fresh air and sunshine. Similarly, its only when we open the doors of our soul or Atman, recognise it as the image of the eternal soul or Parmatman, do we realize self and reach the state of eternal bliss!