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# 2023-06-01 - Essentials of Yoga Practice and Philosophy
# Chapter 2, Satsanga and Meditation
## Why do we need Satsanga?
Our normal thinking (concerning material and worldly things such as
money, family, etc.) is very mundane. We rarely have time for deep
contemplation, to renew our spiritual connection, or to meditate on
our life choices. Satsang, or company of the wise, through listening
to lectures, reading books of Masters, and being in their presence,
helps to induce in our mind inspiring and enlightening thoughts which
can uplift and change our thinking, creating positive thoughts and
inspiration in our minds. These beneficial influences and teachings
can come through books, scriptures or, best, through live teachings.
## Introduction to Meditation: Basic Techniques
In classical Yoga, the practice of Yoga is linked intimately with the
practice of meditation. "Meditation is the only royal road to the
attainment of Freedom. It is a mysterious ladder which reaches from
earth to heaven, from error to truth, from darkness to light, from
pain to bliss, from restlessness to abiding peace, from ignorance to
knowledge, from morality to immortality", according to Sivananda in
Bliss Divine.
One needs to resort to meditation to find answers in life, as our
mind always leads us to frustration and makes us experience over and
over again the same difficulties. It is only through meditation that
we can shift our mind into new, helpful grooves, change ourselves
deeply, and be aware of the present and our choices, rather than just
living conditioned by the past or in an illusive pursuit of the
future. Meditation gives us intuitional insights and connects us
with a reality and a peace beyond the reach of speech and mind.
Swami Vishnu-devananda has outlined 12 points of meditation in his
book Meditation and Mantras. This is a summary of his technique
taken from The Sivananda Companion to Yoga...:
1. Set aside a special place for meditation--the atmosphere you build
up will help still the mind. The room needs to be airy, light,
clean, and pure with an altar as the point of focus.
2. Choose a time when your mind is free of everyday concerns--dawn
and dusk are ideal.
3. Using the same time and place each day conditions the mind to slow
down more quickly.
4. Sit with your back, neck, and head in a straight line, facing
north or east. Assume a comfortable cross-legged posture, hands
on the knees in chin mudra with the index finger and thumb
touching, or with the right-hand palm facing upwards on the
left-hand palm in the lap. Sit on a blanket or a meditation
cushion to alleviate tension in the hips or pressure on the ankles.
5. Instruct your mind to remain quiet for the duration of your
meditation session. Turn the mind within and let go of all
thoughts through auto-suggestion. Repeat Om three times, or chant
prayers to get your mind ready.
6. Regulate your breathing--start with five minutes deep breathing,
then slow it down.
7. Establish a rhythmic breathing pattern--inhaling then exhaling for
about three seconds. The breath needs to be rhythmic, silent, and
imperceptible, comfortable yet almost non-existent. Slowly let
the breath reduce itself down to an imperceptible rhythm. When
the breath becomes calm, the mind automatically becomes calm.
8. At first let your mind wander--it will only grow more restless if
you force it to concentrate. After a while, if the mind gets
distracted, you can gently bring it back to your point of focus or
to your mantra. Be gentle and relaxed. Do not fight with your
mind. Repetition of a mantra will create new grooves and uplift
your mind from the usual patterns of thought.
9. Now bring the mind to rest on the focal point of your
choice--either the Ajna or the Anahata chakra. Once chosen,
always keep the same point of focus in order to channel the flow
of energy in the same pattern. This is an inner focus on a
certain energy center, and it is not a visual looking that
involves the eyes. The eyes are kept closed and relaxed.
10. Applying your chosen technique, hold your object of concentration
at this focal point throughout your session. The mind cannot
focus without an object. In meditation we need to increase the
vibratory level of the mind by focusing on an inspiring object
which one holds dear in one's heart. This conscious exercise of
concentration will help counteract the natural distractions of
the mind while giving you what you want. It is true that what
you think is what you become; therefore, choose a pure object of
focus. The most inspiring thought that would lead you to
self-realization is the pure vibration of the name of the divine,
a sacred mantra. If you do not have a personal mantra (if you
have not been initiated into a mantra) then use the universal
mantra Om, which you can repeat mentally along with your breath
while concentrating your energy at your chosen point of focus.
Om is the sound of unity, the basic vibration of the universe,
the sound of your breath itself. Focusing on Om in silence will
lead you to a place of contentment and harmony deep within you.
11. Meditation comes when you reach a state of pure thought, but
still retain your awareness of duality.
12. After a long practice, duality disappears and Samadhi, the
superconscious state, is attained.
Meditate for half an hour daily. Start with 20 minutes then increase
to half an hour, once or twice daily.
Among the benefits of meditation are: inner strength, peace of mind,
a balanced state of mind, concentration, connection with Self, clarity
of purpose, and Self-realization. You must experience meditation for
yourself. Like sleeping, you cannot really teach someone how to
sleep, but you can help someone gather the conditions for meditation
to happen.
The main practice is to meditate daily without expectation.
The practice of yoga asanas leads to the practice of meditation.
They are one and the same.
## Why do we chant kirtan?
Chanting kirtan is a devotional practice that helps to uplift the
mind, open the heart, and bring inner peace. It is the fastest,
easiest, and most joyful way to achieve peace of mind. The mantras
are mystical universal sounds that resonate with our chakras and
remove negative energies. So, it is important that we chant so that
we can benefit from this powerful healing energy. It is not about
our ego or ourself, but it is about chanting the name and the glories
of God. We need to chant to express our devotion to something higher
than ourselves to open our heart. We need to open our heart daily to
the Supreme so that we can live in peace and compassion with all.
These chants invoke the main aspects of divinity which are in the
universe and within us. Though they are Hindu gods, they are not
only for Hindus, but represent the subliminal spiritual archetypes
within our minds and personalities. Every one of us resonates on a
subtle level with a certain vibration and everyone in reality is
divine, but we forget ourselves, and chanting the name of God links
us with our true divine nature. The different gods represent
different manifestations of the same Supreme Reality. Our
expressions in daily life--and even more, our expressions in
spiritual life--differ from each other and are unique.
The Yogic approach to spirituality is very tolerant of cultural
differences and respectful of traditions. We understand that you
might come from a different spiritual background, but please try to
take this as an opportunity for you to understand the concept of
Unity in Diversity, and open yourself to finding other ways of union
with God... This is what Yoga means by Union--Union with all that
seems to be different than ourselves. In that union only, we find
peace and health.
We are not trying to concert you to Hinduism or to any other
religion. So always try to understand the spirit and the reasons for
a certain practice and keep your mind open, without jumping quickly
to conclusions.
* * *
Real Freedom is Lordship over oneself. It is Freedom of the Soul.
# Chapter 7, Mind, Its Mysteries, and Control
What we perceive externally is in fact a reflection of the quality
and conditioning of our mind. If we are angry then we will find a
reason to be angry about anything. If we are depressed, everything
looks depressing, and so on. The whole world is in our mind. We have
the feeling that the world is a big place and we have no control over
it. We feel victimized by a lot of things. Yoga helps us to regain
clarity and power by helping us to control our mind. The process of
going inward to find answers means finding out the conditioning of
our mindset and adjusting it to reality, thus bringing us from seeing
distortions or illusions.
# Chapter 13, Love, Bhakti Yoga, and Gods and Goddesses
Swami Sivananda says, "God has all names and all forms and no name
and no form. God exists. He is indefinable. God is the totality of
all that exists, sentient and insentient. He is the omnipotent,
omnipresent, omniscient. He has no beginning, middle, or end. He is
the indweller in all beings. He controls from within. He dwells in
your heart."
Our personal relationship with the Supreme depends on our own mind.
Love vibrates in the form of service, charity, generosity, and
benevolence.
True religion does not consist of ritualistic observances and
pilgrimages, etc, but in loving all. Cosmic love is all-embracing
and all-inclusive. Love is the hope of this dark and lonesome world.
The saints, seers, and prophets of all religions have spoken of love
as the end and aim or goal of life.
Your relationship to God is personal; it transcends and encompasses
all human relationships.
There is a story of a genie who promised not to kill his master if
the master could keep him busy. After some time his master, a
woodcutter, became worried because he was running out of ideas. His
Guru came to his rescue and told him to ask his genie servant to cut
a tree trunk and plant it in the courtyard, and then ask him to climb
up and down the tree as his job. After some time the genie gave up,
as his mind could not cope with the repetition. In the same manner,
our mind is always restless and full of desires. By constant mantra
repetition, our mind becomes saturated and gives up distractions,
leaving us in peace. Mantra repetition is the most effective way to
keep the mind under control.
author: Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
tags: book,non-fiction,spirit,yoga
title: Essentials of Yoga Practice and Philosophy
# Tags
book
non-fiction
spirit
yoga
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